Tough times can affect everyone's mental health. For some, the effect of tough situations in life can be crippling. It becomes a challenge to do things that many of us take for granted like getting out of bed in the morning and getting through the day.

Starting a conversation may not be the easiest thing to do but not talking at all is much harder. I will be going silent for 24 hours from 10am on 13 June until 10am the next day to raise awareness for men's mental health and funds for Spur Projects' suicide prevention initiatives.  

What do you get out of it?

For anyone who donates, you can challenge me to do anything (that's not life-threatening, illegal or dangerous!) during those 24hrs of silence BUT the challenge has to be something that will help make someone else's day a little bit brighter and happier! Also, the donor can't be the beneficiary of the challenge - i.e. the person who sets me the challenge isn't the person who I'm trying to make happy.

Every little donation helps, even if it is $2, so you'll know that you're making a difference in creating a culture where seeking help is much easier than suicide. 

I know one too many people around me who is fighting their own mental health battles alone and it should never be that way. I want to help change the status quo. I want to see an Australia where my friends and family find it easier to talk about their tough times than it is to bottle up their feelings.

Here's to 24 hours of silence and lots of eye-bulging moments where I'm desperately trying to express my thoughts without words! :D