Thursday 5th February is the second Time to Talk Day.
People across the country are being asked to spend just 5mins talking about mental health in a bid to change attitudes towards mental health – making it easier for people to be honest about how they are and to break down the barriers that can leave people feeling isolated.
#TimeToTalk day is organised by Time To Change – a group led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness who have been increase awareness of mental health issues generally. Many people aren’t aware of how common mental health problems are. Time to Change position is that “Every year, one in four adults will experience a mental health problem. However the silence surrounding this issue creates a culture in which these problems are not discussed and the people who experience mental health problems are not able to talk openly.”
In the workplace, one in 6 workers is coping with a mental health problem and according to the CIPD absence survey, 2 out of 5 employers have seen an increase in mental health issues in the last year.
We do tend to talk about physical health a lot more readily than mental health whether it is asthma, broken limbs, age related physical issues, colds, headaches etc. Tomorrow is a good day to talk about anxiety, fear, feeling down, struggling to cope, caring for others, feeling lost, depression etc.
Time To Change have some ideas on their website of where and how to have the conversation – at school, work, with family or friends. Are you going to get involved?
If you are struggling with a mental health issue, we have a range of therapists who can help. You can get in touch with us via our Who We Are page or click here