John Kirwan kicks off NZ check-in for Mental Health Awareness Week

AUCKLAND, Today: Sir John Kirwan is on a mission to rethink “wellbeing,” which he feels has become an overused buzzword.

“We have become immune to the term ‘wellbeing,’” says the mental health advocate and Groov co-founder. “It has become too broad, diluted, and a vague buzzword with a lot of baggage.

“We need practical approaches to mental health, day-to-day strategies that focus on specific practices like managing stress and self-care.”

For Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW), Kirwan is launching Groov Social Impact in partnership with Health NZ. This new initiative takes the best parts of Groov’s workplace technology and makes it available for social good, including an upgraded Groov App, which is free for all Kiwis.

“We want to understand what they’re doing to look after themselves and direct them to fun.” – Sir John Kirwan

As part of this launch, The NZ Check-In will run daily during MHAW through the Groov App, giving users a unique snapshot of how New Zealanders are feeling and what they’re doing to protect their mental health.

“Our goal is to engage 200,000 New Zealanders across the week,” says Kirwan. “We want to understand what they’re doing to look after themselves and direct them to fun, accessible resources to celebrate where they’re doing great, and what else they can add into their day.”

“It’s been a difficult time for people—they’re feeling the ongoing pressures of the cost of living, and for many, employment and business confidence remains lumpy,” he adds. “That’s why it’s more important than ever to check in on how people are coping.”

Results from The NZ Check-In will be anonymised and shared on www.groovnow.com/check-in, hoping the data will support Health NZ and the Mental Health Foundation in shaping national mental health strategies.

“It’s been a difficult time for people—they’re feeling the ongoing pressures of the cost of living, and for many, employment and business confidence remains lumpy.” – Sir John Kirwan

Dr. Fiona Crichton, VP of Behavioural Sciences at Groov, says the questions asked during MHAW focus on six areas of daily habits that science shows are key to mental health.

“The action-based nature of the questions also gives people insight into where they can focus their efforts to feel and perform better,” she explains. “Based on their answers, users will be directed to tools and resources tailored to boost areas where they might need extra support.”

Groov CEO Matt Krogstad adds, “Our workplace technology analyses passive and active data to help teams stay in their ‘sweet spot’—where they’re productive, engaged, and thriving. We’ve adapted this for public use through Groov Social Impact.”

He encourages all Kiwis to “download the app and join JK and the Groov team to get a real insight into how we’re doing as a country.”

Download the Groov App from the App Store or Google Play to join The NZ Check-In, helping build a national picture of New Zealand’s mental health.

• groovnow.com/check-in