Soften the Fck Up · Logo

Australia, we need to talk.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged 14-44.

Back in 2011, we created a campaign to target one of the biggest barriers that stop men from talking about how they're feeling—a deeply ingrained culture that tells men to harden up, suck it up, and be a 'man'.

The project was called "Soften the Fck Up" and for years was the focus of our attention to improve mental health across the country.

STFU has since retired as we've moved on to a range of other mental health and suicide prevention projects. But, all the content is still available, and we invite you to watch the videos below or visit our mental health resources.

See the videos

Videos

Soften the Fck Up

Soften the Fck Up is a simple concept: If you're going through a tough time, you need to take action and sort yourself out.
At some point we'll all go through some pretty rubbish times. The challenge is in how we react and respond in these situations.

Thinking about death

Thinking about death looks at some of the statistics surrounding mental health and suicide in Australia. We often just assume that our friends and family are doing just fine.
But, with 20% of all Australians experiencing mental health challenges each year, chances are we're all effected.

Better if you're around

Better if You're Around looks at interrupting the process of suicide.
What happens when someone reaches that fork in the road?

Get silent. Get heard.

Australia goes silent to raise awareness and funds for men's mental health and suicide prevention.

The Blue Letterbox

We asked everyone in the country to submit their best short story, poem, script, lyrics, letter or any other sort of prose that explores mental health in some way.

The winning idea was then turned into the above film.

Mental health resource hub

We've compiled one of the the world's largest international repositories of mental health resources from around the world.

It is always recommended you consult your local GP before engaging any mental health service, and if you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call the emergency services in your local area.

Visit the hub >