My reflections on 20hours for 20Talk: a youth mental health charity event

So there we were, in a 4 m square space within a massive, icy cold warehouse, surrounded by a few hundred other people in their 4 m square, marked in tape and spaced a metre apart. It’s barely 10 degrees. Most of us have full winter kit on, sleeping bags, and some even have tents.

We were participating in an event called 20 hours for 20Talk. The 20 hours involved NO technology, NO talking, and NO mingling outside of your square. The event was to raise money for a youth mental health charity 20Talk whose mission is suicide prevention. How could I say no? Youth mental health has always been deeply important to me and I’ve worked with disadvantaged youth all of my career. I hear stories of a young person attempting to or completing suicide most weeks.

Time has never gone so slowly. Without distraction, I was forced to watch every thought, sit with every feeling, and experience all the physical sensations that came from being very still and cold for 20 hours. Emotions came and went - with stillness and observation it becomes more clear how impermanent feelings are. The physical sensations, however, seemed to intensify, and I noticed my brain reaching for distractions. But there were none.

There was only the experience of the moment, plentiful snacks, and the awareness that each person around me was going through their own personal battle. The most beautiful part of the 20 hours was the connection felt in silence. During the eye gazing activity, tears fell around the room, and we held space for each other. A rare moment, full of silent compassion.

I recommend time without distraction - in any shape or form - in lives often so full of it that it’s hard to see clearly. Take some time out to watch your mind, feel your feelings, and hold space for others.