Time to Talk Day
Thursday the 3rd of February is Time to Talk Day, a day dedicated to getting the nation to come together to talk about mental health. One in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year, so it is important that friends, families, and colleagues start having conversations that will create supportive communities for when we may find ourselves struggling.
How can we do this?
- Ask questions and listen – Open and non-judgemental questions will help you to understand someone’s experience better and will give them space to express their feelings.
- Think about time and place – Sometimes talking face to face can be hard, it might be a good idea to chat whilst doing something else such as cooking or a puzzle, this also takes the pressure off of the conversation.
- Don’t be a fixer – Take a step back and try not to offer solutions no matter how much you want to help, unless advice has been asked for, talking alone is often enough to help.
- Treat them the same – Support them by treating them the same way you did before this conversation; they have not become a different person.
- Be patient – People will not always want to open up, trying to start the conversation can sometimes be enough just to let them know that you are there to listen when they are ready.
- Keep supporting – After the conversation keep them in your mind, offer help with difficult tasks, send texts to check in on them, and try to keep them involved in your community.
You may also want to offer resources so that they know where to go for help, as often a quick chat is not the end of it.
- Samaritans: 116 123
- Mind: 0300 123 3393
- Mind online resources