Tackle Your Feelings is a mental wellbeing campaign, run by Rugby Players Ireland in partnership with Zurich Ireland with the support of the Z Zurich Foundation. It aims to reduce the stigma around mental health and provide people with the tools and resources to be more proactive in looking after their emotional wellbeing.

Launched in 2015, with an initial three year term, the Tackle Your Feelings campaign has a preventative focus, with the purpose of inspiring more people to take action to look after their mental wellbeing on a daily basis. The campaign, having proven it’s effectiveness in phase one was approved for additional funding by the Z Zurich Foundation in 2018 to continue for a further four years.

The campaign aims to change the way people think and behave around mental wellbeing:

  • Change Attitudes – break down stigma around mental wellbeing.
  • Change Behaviours – equip people with the tools and motivation to proactively work on their mental wellbeing.
  • Create a movement – encourage people to take ownership of the campaign messaging and to become champions of the TYF message in their own communities.

Key campaign messages:

  • Be honest with yourself about how you are feeling.
  • Make space every day to connect with your emotions.
  • Find the strategies that works for you.

The key message ‘Take control of your mental wellbeing’ sums up the approach of the campaign. In line with Zurich’s Purpose of helping people reach their full potential, the campaign activity is specifically designed to empower people to take responsibility for their own wellbeing and to inspire confidence in their ability to do so.  

Initiatives and engagement

The latest phase of the Tackle Your Feelings Campaign has a strong focus on the proactive approach to mental wellbeing. Leinster’s James Lowe launched the ‘I’m taking control’ campaign in Sept 2019. The content focuses on how to handle every day stressors and pressures which come your way, how to savour the good experiences, understand emotions and build resources. We want to enable people to thrive, not just survive. 

The campaign has also expanded to include specific programmes for schools (senior cycle) and workplaces; including a tailored app for each audience. The schools programme launched in February 2020 with TYF Ambassador Eimear Considine, also a teacher sharing her story. 

The Tackle Your Feelings Schools Programme is a classroom based, teacher led, life skills development programme which enables students to build healthy habits and personal coping strategies as well as kindness and understanding when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. The content for the app-based programme, is developed using positive and sport psychology principles and is supported with comprehensive lesson plans for teachers, whilst students can easily access the content whilst in school or at home. The 2021/22 programme includes an 8-lesson schedule, covering awareness, emotions, wellbeing characteristics and self-care.

Schools can sign up to take part in the programme by contacting RPI directly via tackleyourfeelings.com

The App

The Tackle Your Feelings App aims to encourage users to be proactive about their mental wellbeing using sport and positive psychology principles. It encourages users to prioritise their mental wellbeing in the same way as their nutrition and taking exercise, instead of waiting for a problem to manifest before taking action. Users are offered an opportunity to try out different strategies to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing.

The tools and techniques featured in the Tackle Your Feelings App specifically help users to improve their optimism, resilience, confidence, satisfaction, relaxation, happiness and relationships. Users can then go on to explore some of the techniques that work best for them, taking positive steps towards safeguarding their mental wellbeing into the future. Through setting goals and reflecting on their progress, users can expect to learn how to maximise their mental wellbeing and gain confidence in using practical strategies to help them do so.

The App is available free to download through the Apple and Google Play App stores.

Accessing resources

Find out how you can #TackleYourFeelings by visiting www.tackleyourfeelings.com which serves as a comprehensive resource for people dealing with mental wellbeing issues, as well as family and friends, through interactive tools, information and advice.