Empowering Waikato Youths mental fitness with gratitude.

I am spearheading an initiative to distribute 7000 free gratitude journals to Year 9 students in Waikato high schools by doing lifelong positive habit. A little thing with powerful results!

WHY?

The aim is to educate and facilitate a regular habit of gratitude, through journaling in these teens.

Gratitude is more than a feeling; it’s a tool for building resilience and a positive perspective.

Gratitude research shows :

-it is the best predictor of wellbeing of any character strength

-it reduces teens likelihood of drugs and alcohol abuse

-it reduces depression and improves happiness and immunity

-it increases self control and health

The COVID-19 pandemic with its isolation and fear and social media challenges provide significant psychological challenges to many of our youth. Around 40% of children displaying symptoms of depression and anxiety during and these remain elevated post Covid lockdown . Eating disorders have increased 300% post Covid .

Help is often not easy to find or access.

This project, inspired by my passion for helping the youth of the Waikato proactively improve their mental fitness skills and my own experiences in positive psychology and practicing gratitude. Together we can address this need head-on.

The journals have been designed with the assistance of a well-known NZ leader in mental fitness, Jimi Hunt and Libby Grace.