As one year comes to a close and another begins, it's easy to think about everything we want to change.
We make plans, set goals and promise ourselves that this will be the year we finally get around to the things we've been putting off.
But I want to offer a simpler reminder: start where you are.
You don't need to overhaul your life, have everything figured out or wait for the perfect moment to begin building your mental fitness.
You can start right here, right now, today.
Watch the video below or continue reading:
Suicide Prevention Is More Than a Date on the Calendar
September's awareness month can feel like a long time ago by the time we reach the end of the year.
And that's exactly my point.
Suicide prevention isn't something we should only talk about during an awareness campaign or when someone reaches a crisis point. It's also about what happens in the ordinary moments in between.
It's in how we check on each other during a busy week. It's in the conversations we're willing to start, the connections we build and the skills we practise before someone is struggling to cope.
Awareness matters, but it needs to lead to action.
If we want to create workplaces and communities that better support people's wellbeing, prevention needs to become part of how we think and act throughout the year.
Not just in September. Not just when something goes wrong. Every day.
You Don't Need to Overhaul Your Life
As I look towards a new year, I'm not promising to change everything about my life.
I'm choosing to keep noticing. To keep learning. To keep building the tools that help me navigate everyday challenges and support the people around me.
I think there's value in approaching our mental fitness in the same way.
Sometimes, we put off doing something for ourselves because we think it needs to be a big commitment. We imagine we need a new routine, a detailed plan or a significant amount of time before we can make a start.
But what if we made it simpler?
What if we started with 15 minutes on a quiet morning this week?
That might mean taking some time to reflect on how you're feeling, practising a skill you've been learning or reaching out to someone you've been meaning to check in on.
The action itself doesn't need to be complicated. What matters is that you begin.
Small steps can help you build habits that become part of your everyday life.
Build the Tools Before You Need Them
When I talk about mental fitness, I often come back to the idea of building practical tools we can use when life becomes challenging.
We wouldn't wait until a difficult job was already going wrong before thinking about which tools we needed. We'd want them ready and within reach.
The same principle applies to our mental fitness.
We can practise recognising our emotions, managing our responses, navigating difficult conversations and strengthening our connections with others before we're under significant pressure.
These skills won't prevent every difficult situation, and they don't replace professional support when it's needed. But they can help us become more aware of what's happening and better prepared to take the next step.
The important thing is to keep practising.
You don't need to master every skill at once. Choose one thing you want to work on and give yourself an opportunity to build it into your week.
Start where you are, with what you have.
If You Lead a Team, Think Beyond the Crisis Plan
There's another question I'd encourage leaders to consider as they plan for 2027.
Your crisis plan is in place. But what's your prevention plan?
Having clear processes for responding when someone is in crisis is essential. But prevention also means considering what you're doing before that point.
Are people equipped with practical mental fitness skills?
Do your team members know how to recognise when they're struggling and where to find support?
Are you creating opportunities for people to connect, have honest conversations and raise concerns without feeling they need to wait until things become unbearable?
And are wellbeing and prevention built into your plans for the year, rather than treated as occasional activities?
These are worth considering before budgets are finalised and calendars fill up.
Prevention doesn't have to mean launching a complicated new initiative. It can begin with small, deliberate steps that make mental fitness, connection and support part of everyday working life.
The important thing is to move beyond awareness and think about what you can put into practice.
Start Where You Are, Today
You don't need to wait for January to make a start on your own wellbeing.
You don't need to wait for the next awareness month to check on someone.
And if you're leading a team, you don't need to wait for a problem to emerge before thinking about prevention.
Choose one small action you can take this week.
Give yourself 15 minutes to focus on your mental fitness. Reach out to someone you've been thinking about. Or start a conversation about what prevention could look like in your workplace next year.
You don't have to do everything at once.
I'm choosing to keep noticing and to keep building the tools. I'd encourage you to think about what that might look like for you, too.
Start where you are, right here, right now, today.
