Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation, it’s the day that friends, families, communities, and workplaces come together to talk, listen and change lives.
It is about being open to the idea of talking, everyone has mental health, and by having conversations about it people can help themselves and others. It’s not about encouraging people to talk about a mental health problem if they don’t want to.
Not always easy to talk
Asking others how they’re doing are simple ways to start conversations about mental health and show the people in one's life they’re prepared to talk and listen without judgment.
If someone does open up about their mental health, Dardan knows it might not always feel easy to know what to say. But it doesn’t have to be awkward, and being there for someone can make a big difference.
5 ways of approach
There is no right way to talk about mental health; however, Dardan Security has 5 tips that can help make sure a person is approaching it in a helpful way:
- Ask questions and listen.
- Think about time and place – sometimes it's easier to talk side by side than face to face, try it whilst walking or cooking.
- Don’t try and fix it – unless someone has asked for advice directly, just the ability to listen and be there can be very powerful.
- Treat them the same as anyone else – having mental health struggles doesn’t define a person.
- Be patient.