10/09/2025
R U OK? Day 2025 – Rethinking Mental Health
Today, September 11th, we pause for R U OK? Day, a gentle but powerful reminder to check in with the people around us and, just as importantly, with ourselves. It’s about more than asking a question. It’s about opening space for real conversations, truly listening, and letting each other know that support is always possible.
Mental health is one of Australia’s biggest challenges. More than 3 million Australians experience anxiety or depression each year, and if you’ve ever felt low, stuck, or overwhelmed, you’re certainly not alone. The encouraging news is that our mental health is not fixed. It can be supported, nourished, and strengthened in ways that bring us more calmness, clarity, and resilience.
At its core, mental wellbeing is about connection, both with others and within our own brain.
The brainstem helps us feel safe by managing stress and survival responses.
The limbic system processes our emotions.
The prefrontal cortex gives us perspective, focus, and clarity.
When these areas “talk” smoothly through chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, life feels easier. Emotions settle, stress feels manageable, and we bounce back quicker from challenges. But when that communication breaks down, the opposite can happen, stress feels overwhelming, emotions spiral, and focus becomes harder to hold.
Too often, treatment focuses only on pharmaceuticals. While medication can be very helpful, it often doesn’t address the root causes of imbalance. For example, a poor diet might trigger nutrient deficiencies that affect how the brainstem regulates stress signals. This, in turn, can create heightened emotional responses in the limbic system and reduce the prefrontal cortex’s ability to calm things down. The result? Anxiety that feels relentless, fatigue that lingers, and a loop that keeps feeding itself.
The good news? There are ways to break that loop. Holistic strategies, through nutrition, lifestyle, and personalised care, can restore balance, improve resilience, and give you back a sense of control. This is what I’ve been trained to support people with, and it’s why I’m so passionate about helping you feel not just “okay” but truly well.
If you’d like to start this conversation for yourself, I’d love to walk alongside you.
You can book an appointment by calling our reception team on (03) 5221 8220 or book online via our website.
Take care of yourself, and remember, you’re never alone in this.
Warmly,
Matt