Tag: 21. September 2023

Half of all the mental health conditions we experience at some point in our lives will have started by age 14. 

What’s more alarming is that one in 10 people between the ages of 12 and 17 will self-harm, while one in 13 will seriously consider suicide. One in 40 will follow through with a suicide attempt. It’s no wonder our country’s teachers fear for the mental health of their students.

A 2023 Beyond Blue survey found that Australian teachers believe poor mental health is the biggest issue amongst our youth, followed by excessive screen-time, and then bullying, according to the ABC.

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Of the 2,369 teachers surveyed by the mental health support organisation, only one in three believed their students were mentally healthy.

„[There have been] more noticeable moments where people are upset at school,“ Alanah, a year 11 student at Braemar College in Victoria, told The ABC. „People kind of go on nervous rants. I’ve seen some people cry in really bad circumstances.“

For Alanah, social media has played a big part in the mental health of her and her classmates. „There’s this need to kind of show off, and show that you have friends and that you’re doing all these things — and if you don’t you kind of get outcast,“ she said.

„I think it’s definitely hard to switch off, especially at lunchtime you walk around, everyone’s just scrolling.“

Emma Grant, Braemar College’s wellbeing specialist, said the enforcement of lockdown in 2020 through to 2022 had a huge impact. From her own experience with students, she’s noticed some are lacking a sense of purpose and social skills because of the extended periods of isolation.

„They’re not learning social awareness. They’re not learning how to read emotions. They’re not learning body language,“ Grant said. „A 16-year-old is not where you would typically see a 16-year-old, for example. Same with a 14-year-old. They’re missing some of those socio-emotional key skills.“

Yes, during the pandemic it was mobile phones and devices that kept young people connected, but it also resulted in excessive screen time, something they can’t kick.

Beyond Blue’s findings have led to new mental health resources which will become part of the classroom curriculum, created by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) in consultation with Beyond Blue, Headspace, the National Mental Health Commission, and of course, our teachers nationwide.

And they won’t just be exclusive to PDHPE classes, they’ll be included in lessons under the English and humanities departments. 

„We don’t want students to think the only time we’re talking about the importance of mental health and wellbeing is when they walk into a class and timetable that has health and physical education on it,“ said Sharon Foster, ACARA’s curriculum director. It’s an ongoing discussion, and one of the upmost importance.

If you or someone you know is suffering from poor mental health, visit beyondblue.org.au, or call 1300 22 4636.

Do you a fragrant soap or body wash? And do you use a cloth or sponge in the shower? Put them down. We repeat: put, them, down.

According to a TikTok hygiene expert, Mary Futher, who’s better known as Madame Sweat, using nice-smelling soaps and gentle cleaning implements will not actually get those armpits of yours clean at all.

According to Futher, if you’re not using an antibacterial soap, and not washing each area for around 30 seconds, then you’re harbouring the previous days’ filth.

“If you’re washing your underarms like this, with some tutti-frutti soap, I can guarantee you still have yesterday’s deodorant on your underarms,” she explained, mimicking a wash, in a now-viral TikTok clip.

The hygiene product developer then called upon a man named Joey, who demonstrated the correct action.

“We’re here in the shower with Joey, and he’s lathering for 30 seconds,” she said as he got to work on his hairy pits. “He’s doing it right. Plus, he’s using an antibacterial soap!

According to Futher, soaps are only antibacterial if they’re not fragrant, and contain apple cider vinegar, salt and charcoal. But to reap the benefits, you’ve „really gotta get in there to get rid of yesterday’s deodorant.”

Futher was flooded with responses in the comments section, including one woman who said to “just use a washcloth”, but the expert wasn’t having it.

“Washcloths tend to harbour a lot of bacteria,” she said. And if you’re not cleaning them between cleaning yourself – that’s guaranteed old sweat. A good alternative may be an exfoliating glove, but that too needs to be cleaned after use. 

According to the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), using deodorant won’t stop bacteria and bad odour under the armpits completely, but it can form some sort of defence. This means you’re not just working to clear deodorant residue when you’re showering, but a host of bacteria, too.

We’re also not actually meant to omit odour when we sweat. It’s a result of bacteria, genetics, age or diet.  

“Humans have three types of sweat glands – apocrine, eccrine, sebaceous,” the ASM explained.

“Body odour is primarily caused by apocrine sweat glands that become activated during puberty. These sweat glands develop in hairy regions like the armpits, genitals and scalp, where they secrete an oily fluid comprised of proteins, lipids and steroids.

“Contrary to popular belief, this viscous fluid (sweat) is naturally almost entirely odourless. It is only when members of the skin microbiota metabolise these secretions that they produce the malodorous byproducts, which cause body odour. In humans, armpits offer a moist, warm environment where microbes can thrive, making them a microbial hotspot.”

Moist, microbes and armpits – three words we don’t want to see in the same sentence.

Futher is definitely onto something. Who wants to breed bacteria in this “moist” region of the human body? With summer on its way, perhaps it’s time to invest in an antibacterial soap and get scrubbing!