For Roisin Bennett, mental health has never been just a concept - it’s been a lived experience that shaped her life and career. Growing up in an all-girls school, she felt the weight of expectations and body image pressures. “There was so much pressure to look a certain way,” she recalls. “My family became worried about how focused I was on what I was my eating and weight, so they connected me with a dietician and that really helped.”
Her challenges continued into university. Initially studying law, Roisin quickly realised she wanted to change laws more than practice them, but the uncertainty of career prospects left her feeling lost. “I had a freak out - I didn’t know what to do,” she says. That period led to antidepressants and a referral to counselling, although she remembers therapy wasn’t freely offered, she had to ask for it.
What helped Roisin most was self-reflection once she discovered self-help resources. “Exercises, journal prompts, knowledge - that was what got me through,” she says. This sparked a passion for wellbeing that would define her future.
Her career evolved into pastoral care roles where she introduced university students to Te Whare Tapa Whā, a Māori model of wellbeing that is promoted by the Mental Health Foundation. “I saw how mental health could enable or disable success at uni,” Roisin explains. But Roisin’s own wellbeing wasn’t always steady. Juggling a PhD and full-time work left her in survival mode. Personal losses compounded the stress. “Things were crap,” she admits. A turning point came when she and her partner committed to fitness and nutrition. “I became a nicer person,” she says with a smile.
Today, Roisin runs her own leadership consultancy, helping others navigate stress and build resilience. Her philosophy is rooted in lived experience: “The human condition isn’t that unique. Sharing stories matters - saying, ‘Hey, I went through this. You’re not alone.’”
She champions collective care over individual self-care and emphasises the importance of workplaces prioritising wellbeing. “On Instagram, it’s all about self-care, but we need to move to collective care,” she says.
Other mental health tools like the Five Ways to Wellbeing, which are championed by the Mental Health Foundation are powerful resources she uses in her daily life. She admits the “Take Notice” action was one she initially struggled with, but now it’s the one she loves the most – and has reframed it as “Awe and wonder.”
Roisin believes the Mental Health Foundation plays a vital role in normalising conversations about wellbeing and providing practical tools that empower people to thrive, not just cope.
That’s one of the reasons she was happy to take part in February’s The Push-Up Challenge – to raise awareness around the importance of mental wellbeing, as well as funds for the Mental Health Foundation.
She joined over 25,000 other New Zealanders completing 2,000 push-ups in 23 days, and says the experience taught her that consistency doesn’t have to look like perfection.
“Showing up and continuing with integrity is what counts,” she reflects. “The Challenge reminded me that repetition creates strength and ease and most importantly, that I’m far more capable than what I may think.”
For Roisin it’s about learning how to walk the talk and encouraging herself – and others – to craft a life that brings happiness and joy.
