Act - Belong - Commit

Act - Belong - Commit is a new mental health initiative of the Western Australian government, the advertising for which has hit WA's TV screens in the past couple of weeks.

At its simplest, Act - Belong - Commit is a formula for avoiding isolation, loneliness, disconnection, purposelessness and other negative feelings that result from not being involved with the people and activities around you.

There are three aspects involved, as the name would suggest:

Act: stay mentally and physically active, plan to engage in activities that challenge your mind and body.

Belong: participate in activities with family and friends, join clubs and attend their activities. Get involved.

Commit: find causes that matter to you and decide to make a difference. Become an active driver of club activities.

It's a very simple idea, and it still relies on people deciding to follow it and getting out there and doing something. But the simplicity of it can cut through the hopelessness that many isolated people feel, and gives them an easy way to get out of the isolation trap. I wish someone had said something as simple as "Act Belong Commit" to me when I was so lonely and depressed in Sydney!

I don't think it's a coincidence that they've launched the advertising during the Olympics, either. Apart from catching a lot of potentially isolated TV junkies, they're also targeting people at a time when they might be thinking things like "hey, I used to LOVE tennis - I should take it up again". They're hitting people squarely in that half-formed thought and encouraging them to follow through on it.

Anyway, I thought it was worth sharing. Check out the link at the top for more information.