Kia ora!
I’m Jess!
I created Mindfit NZ because of my battle with mental health and the difficulties I faced trying to get help. The overwhelming web of information and the multitude of different sites I had to sift through made finding the right support almost impossible. Even worse, it made the prospect of giving up that much easier. Along with many others, I found that the NZ mental health system isn’t geared towards prevention and early intervention. I hope to help change that.
After conducting extensive research into our mental health system and, what was already out there, I realised affordable services and resources are abundant for New Zealanders. They’re just tricky to find.
I asked myself, ‘If people can’t find these services, how can they help them?’ The answer to this disconnect was the birth of Mindfit NZ. A platform to connect together all the wellbeing services available to New Zealanders.
I hope that Mindfit NZ will become, for others, the tool I needed when I was struggling. I hope that through Mindfit, people will no longer have to endlessly sift through hundreds of websites to find the right help. I hope no one has to have the same disheartening and off-putting experience I had.
Mindfit includes traditional as well as non-traditional wellbeing support services. I made sure of this because I am a huge believer in the creative arts’ therapeutic qualities. Amid my wellbeing journey, I found that sometimes it’s not about finding the ‘perfect’ tool but rather mixing and matching different tools to create your own wellbeing regime.
For example… I took part in Peer-Support, traditional talk therapy, and I read a few self-help books. I also spent time doing art, and I completed an Outward Bound Cours; a course that helped me to recover and heal in a way that I otherwise never would have.
I have found that mental health recovery is deeply personal. Therefore, it makes sense that support should be highly individual too. I hope that Mindfit can help you find the support that is right for you.
He mana tō te mātau ā-wheako
Our lived experience is our strength.
With love and hope,
Jess x
P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about Mindfit NZ, our about page and post on the inspiration for our name and logo can provide you with everything else you need to know!