This week, September 1–5, marks Women’s Health Week across Australia, and the 2025 theme, “Say Yes to You,” encourages women, girls, and gender-diverse people to prioritise their health.
It’s a week dedicated to highlighting important health topics for women of all ages, with each day focusing on a specific theme: Every Check Matters, Take the Lead, Heart Smart, Pain to Power, and Be Kind to Your Mind.
In recent years, conversations and inquiries into medical misogyny have gained momentum, shedding light on the systemic neglect of women’s health. Despite making up half the population, it has taken decades for women’s health to become a priority on political and medical agendas. This week serves as a timely reminder to focus on ourselves and our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Too often, women find themselves saying yes to everyone else, family, work, life responsibilities, while forgetting to say yes to themselves. As I move through this stage of life, I’ve come to understand that being kind to my mind is not just important, it’s essential.
I was recently watching Samin Nosrat, the James Beard award-winning chef and author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, on Meghan Markle’s show. She spoke about a tradition she shares with her friends: Monday night dinners. For the past four years, they’ve made these dinners a non-negotiable part of their calendars, blocking out time to gather, connect, and nourish both body and soul. What started as a simple way to satisfy a craving for connection has grown into a ritual that fosters deep, meaningful relationships.
Samin Nosrat’s story made me reflect on the importance of connection in our lives and how, as women, these connections are essential to our mental and emotional health. Whether we’re navigating family, careers, or menopause, the support of others can be a lifeline. Samin’s story also made me reflect on the self care rituals in my own life. While I don’t have many, which is part of the problem and exactly what Women’s Health Week aims to address, I do have one that has become deeply important to me.
Together, a remarkable woman and close friend of mine and I have created a ritual of our own. Every Friday morning after school drop-off, we meet at our local library, which overlooks a beautiful lake with a walking track. It’s not a large lake, but we grab a coffee and spend 45 minutes to an hour walking laps around it. This hour has become sacred to us. We schedule meetings, appointments, children, and our endless to-do lists around this time. When one of us can’t make it, which is rare, it throws off our entire day and week.
This simple walk, where we both say ‘yes to ourselves’, has become an anchor after what is often a tough week filled with work, children, and relationship ups and down’s. It’s a ritual that feeds our minds. We talk about the highs and lows of the week. We’ve laughed, cried, and supported each other through life’s challenges. We’ve asked each other hard questions and been each other’s sounding boards. Some big life decisions have been made during these walks. We even touch on global events and politics but never seem to solve the problems of the world.
At the end of our walk, we return to our cars and head off to tackle the rest of our day, but we feel lighter, as if someone else is helping carry the load. This act of kindness to ourselves and to each other, this hour of connection, is more than just a walk. It’s a way to fill and refill our cups so we can thrive not just survive.
Research shows that social connections improve mental health, reduce stress, and even increase longevity. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, women are more likely than men to experience anxiety and depression, and strong social support can be a protective factor. Prioritizing these moments of connection is not just beneficial, it’s essential.
So, this Women’s Health Week, I encourage you to find what fills your cup. Whether it’s a walk with a friend, a quiet moment alone, or a weekly shared meal, say ‘yes to yourself’. Be kind to your mind. Because when we prioritise our wellbeing we are better equipped to support those around us and lead fuller, healthier lives.