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Time to Talk Day 2023

Feb 2, 2023 | News, Uncategorised

Time to Talk Day 2023

2 February 2023

Wargrave House organised a mental health workshop in conjunction with Time to Talk Day 2023. The workshop covered various methods to raise awareness of mental health and well-being, as well as some advice on what to do to feel better. In addition, people were encouraged to talk about their mental health without fear of being misunderstood to express their feelings.

Time to Talk Day is about us all being open to the idea of talking – we all have mental health, and we can help ourselves and others by having conversations about it. If someone does open up about their mental health, we know it might not always feel easy to know what to say. But it doesn’t have to be awkward, and just being there for someone can make a big difference. There is no right way to talk about mental health. However, these tips can help make sure you’re approaching it in a helpful way:

 

 

 

 

 

  • Ask questions and listen – Asking questions can give the person space to express how they’re feeling and what they’re going through, and it will help you to understand their experience better. Try to ask open questions and not be leading or judgmental, like “how does that affect you?” or “what does it feel like?”
  • Think about the time and place – Sometimes, it’s easier to talk side by side rather than face to face. So, if you talk in person, you might want to chat while doing something else. You could start a conversation while walking, cooking or stuck in traffic. However, don’t let the search for the perfect place put you off!
  • Don’t try and fix it – It can be hard to see someone you care about having a difficult time but try to resist the urge to offer quick fixes to what they’re going through. Learning to manage or recover from a mental health problem can be a long journey, and they’ve likely already considered many different tools and strategies. Talking can be really powerful, so it might be best to listen unless they’ve asked for advice directly.
  • Treat them the same – When someone has a mental health problem, they’re still the same person. And that means when a friend or loved one opens up about mental health, they don’t want to be treated any differently. If you want to support them, keep it simple. Do the things you’d normally do.
  • Be patient – No matter how hard you try, some people might not be ready to talk about what they’re going through. That’s ok – the fact that you’ve tried to talk to them about it may make it easier for them to open up another time.
  • Other ways to support –
  • Find things in your community to get involved in together
    •    Sending a text to let them know you’re thinking of them
    •    Offering to help with day-to-day tasks

     

It’s great to start the conversation about mental health. We hope that these materials and ideas help get people talking. Here are some places you can go, or direct people, to for help.

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