Youth Hauora (Wellbeing)
Reconnect's Approach
to Uplift Youth Hauora
The well-being of young people in New Zealand is facing alarming challenges, with increasing rates of psychological distress among teenagers and young adults. According to the Treasury Wellbeing Report, Aotearoa experiences high levels of bullying, loneliness, obesity, and declining mental health among youth.
Reconnect is committed to improving youth well-being by fostering meaningful service and self-care, guided by hauora—the Māori concept of holistic health (physical, mental, spiritual, and social).
In 2024, we launched Care to Self-Care, a youth-led initiative at Henderson High School that empowered students to design creative self-care ideas. The winning concept became a mental health comic book resource now available in libraries and youth centres.
Building on this, we’re expanding with Share the Warmth—a project that enhances youth well-being through kindness and service. Research shows serving others fosters purpose, connection, and mental health. Youth will engage in activities like supporting rough sleepers, visiting elderly homes, cleaning local spaces and supporting those in need.
By combining self-care with service, Reconnect is building a movement where youth thrive personally and collectively. When young people care for themselves and others, they create stronger, more connected communities.
Join us and be part of the movement for youth well-being in Aotearoa!
Sources:
What is Hauora?
Hauora is a Māori philosophy of health unique to Aotearoa. It comprises:
Taha tinana (the physical dimension)
Physical wellbeing as well as the physical body, its growth, development, and ability to move, and ways of caring for it.
Taha hinengaro (the mental dimension)
Mental and emotional wellbeing including coherent thinking processes, acknowledging and expressing thoughts and feelings, and responding constructively.
Taha whānau (the family dimension)
Social wellbeing exploring family relationships, friendships, and other interpersonal relationships; feelings of belonging, compassion, and caring; and social support.
Taha wairua (the spiritual dimension)
Spiritual wellbeing and the values and beliefs that determine the way people live, the search for meaning and purpose in life, and personal identity and self-awareness. (For some individuals and communities, spiritual wellbeing is linked to a particular religion; for others, it is not.)
Each of these four dimensions of hauora influences and supports the others.
(Sources: Hauora)
