Mental Health

Time to Talk - Thursday 4th February 2021

Our mental health has been seriously tested over the last year, not just as a individuals but on a worldwide scale in the midst of the global pandemic.

We’ve all had to adjust to completely new circumstances that we have never had to experience before. Businesses have been put under unprecedented pressure to succeed, individuals have lost jobs, friends and family to the virus and our children have faced the challenges of home schooling and some very stressed parents! Add to that lockdown and not being able to see friends and family for a little light relief and it’s no wonder that people are struggling more than ever before.

The importance of simply opening up and having a chat is not to be underrated. It’s both common and tempting to detract from loved ones and talk less when struggling with our mental health because we don’t feel our usual selves. It’s hard to imagine being upbeat and chatty when just getting through the day to day is difficult, and self esteem is a hard demon to beat when it’s telling us we’re not at our best and kidding us into believing our friends and family ones want to hear about our problems. However it’s incredibly important to remember you’re not alone and simply talking about how you feel can be a great first step to overcoming a huge variety of mental health conditions – whether it’s anxiety, depression, or simply just feeling a little lonely.

Time to talk day is a great opportunity to start opening up about our feelings, whether it’s to friends and family or even a trusted professional. Even though it might be a little different this year since we can’t meet in person, picking up the phone, sending an email or even getting our thoughts down on pen and paper is still a great option.

If you’re interested in getting involved further take a look at the time to change website below, a great resource aiming to end the stigma around mental health. There’s lots of advice and support as well as suggestions of ways you can get involved to help.

https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/get-involved/time-talk-day

A huge 4 out of 5 of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lifetime and awful as it is to go through, it's important to know you’re never alone and there are resources out there to help.