![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2a2ce91d-17at39oztaatvle_eclao_h8n55.jpg\")
Thousands of Tasmanians will wear shorts on the shortest day of the year to support mental health initiatives. Image \/ Richard Jupe<\/p>\nSPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY is challenging Tasmanians to think beyond why mental health matters to how communities can create environments where conversations actually happen.<\/p>\n
The annual Shorts Day initiative, which encourages people to wear shorts on the shortest day of the year to \u201cbrave the cold and brave the conversation\u201d, attracted more than 23,000 participants across Australia in 2025.<\/p>\n
This June 19, thousands of people across Tasmania and beyond will once again come together in their brightest pair of shorts to brave the cold and brave the conversation.<\/p>\n
SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY founder Mitch McPherson said this year\u2019s campaign focuses on helping communities move from understanding mental health to actively supporting one another.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Tasmanians will wear shorts on the shortest day of the year to support mental health initiatives. Image \/ Richard Jupe<\/p>\n
McPherson established the organisation in 2013 after his younger brother Ty died by suicide.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople know mental health matters. What we\u2019re seeing now is that people want to know how to talk about it and how to create spaces where those conversations feel safe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2a2ce91d-cqowua2tiswchmq_kjtd9_nvsbd.jpg\")
SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY founder Mitch McPherson established the charity in 2013. Image \/ Richard Jupe<\/p>\n
\u201cShorts Day has always been about starting conversations, and this year we\u2019re focusing on the environments around us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people feel supported, respected and safe, conversations happen naturally, and that\u2019s where real change happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Online search behaviour shows Australians are increasingly asking practical questions about mental health, including how to start conversations and check in on someone.<\/p>\n
RACT chief experience officer Karla Wasinski said creating psychologically safe environments was essential for both workplaces and community wellbeing.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2a2ce91d-ook224fmjovmczf_db380_s6rh2.jpg\")
Friday June 19 will see thousands wearing bright shorts across Tasmania. Image \/ Richard Jupe<\/p>\n
\u201cWe live in a world that can seem to be moving in the wrong direction when it comes to human connection. Psychologically safe environments have never been more important,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can be created by listening without judgment, encouraging questions, showing respect and making it clear that it\u2019s okay to speak up or ask for help.\u201d<\/p>\n
Registrations are open at www.shortsday.com.au for individuals and organisations wanting to raise awareness, host conversations or fundraise for Tasmanian mental health initiatives.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2a2ce91d-rlv65r1mgch61zc_w8iju_t9xy5.jpg\")
Thousands of Tasmanians will wear shorts on the shortest day of the year to support mental health initiatives. Image \/ Richard Jupe
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4610f49d-s97lwplub133ia0_tqxd4_g8uxx.jpg\")
Thousands of Tasmanians will wear shorts on the shortest day of the year to support mental health initiatives. Image \/ Richard Jupe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY is challenging Tasmanians to think beyond why mental health matters to how communities can…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377342,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[134,554,555,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-377341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}