With Melbourne phased into a stage four lockdown, ’90s-inspired grunge rockers Bad Juju, who call this great city their home, have spoken out about the importance of mental health amid this era of chaos.

Melbourne’s own ’90s-inspired rockers Bad Juju keep mental health at the forefront of their music, creating not only grooving tunes, but include the importance of making conversation and raising awareness by infusing their lyrics with talk of the effects of substance abuse, the grief surrounding losing a friend, and depression.

Even their latest single, ‘Dawn’, that was released in July delves deep into the world of mental health, spawning from a text message from a friend who was “struggling to get through the night due to loneliness and using drugs to get through their pain.”

This year has put more of a hard focus on mental health than the years past, with social isolation becoming the new norm, and a sense of dread easily washing over the world due to the uncertainty of the global pandemic.

With a smile being hard to find, and comfort being far and few between, Bad Juju detail the importance of keeping in check with your mental health, the small things you can do to help yourself, and are shouting out the resources that can be life-altering.

Check out ‘Dawn’ by Bad Juju:

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With everything that’s going on, Bad Juju recognise that there is a key importance of monitoring your own mental health, and paying attention to the cues that your body and brain are giving you.

With the extended periods of isolation, “even just having to work from home and losing that constant daily interaction can put even the most resilient into a funk,” the collective write.

“It’s important to remember no one is immune to depression and stress, look after yourself and those close to you. The BeyondBlue website has a lot of tips for looking after your mental health during this pandemic,” they shared.

Check out Bad Juju’s ‘Say It’:

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On a personal level, Bad Juju notes that there are very simple activities you can take part in that will help even the slightest amount. For the rocking collective, they’ve been playing “a lot of guitar,” and tucking into video games, while remembering to stay active, which “helps a lot.”

Even with these activities, the monotony of being in lockdown has sat in, and Bad Juju notes that they often find themselves “bored and restless quite a bit.”

“Realising where you are with your own mental health is important,” the band notes, while detailing that we can’t all be resilient. “If you find yourself at a point where you can’t cope, reach out. You’re not immune to depression, but you’re not alone.”

Check out Bad Juju’s ‘Moving On’:

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With everything that’s going on, Bad Juju have compiled a list of some resources across Australia that can help with whatever is going on. As life continues to be chaotic, and without much relief, these organisations are standing strong as a beacon of hope to those who are experiencing despair.

BeyondBlue: A government funded service that offer trained counsellor help via all avenues. phone, text and online chat. You can seek help with whatever method you feel comfortable with.

Lifeline: “We exist so that no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone,” their mission statement reads. They offer crisis support, and suicide prevention services. Even if you are worried about someone close to you, they are there to talk and help you through the situation. They also offer call, text and online chat options.

Better Pride: They offer specialised assistance for the LGBTIQ+ community. Anxiety and depression, life changes, bullying, isolation are listed things they can help with. “Whether it’s in your relationship, coming out to others, changing your family situation or strengthening your mental health and wellbeing, Better Pride can help.”

Check out Bad Juju: