Have you ever considered that talking to your colleagues about their mental health could be life-changing for them?
Now more so than ever before, due to Covid – 19, people may be struggling with life due to circumstances they have never found themselves in. During the mental health webinars that we have been delivering over this period, people have raised many worries and concerns that previously they have handled well due to their positive coping strategies. These ways of coping may not be available to them due to current restrictions to their lives, and this can lead to a lowering in thoughts and mood and therefore a decline in mental wellbeing.
If you notice signs that someone may be struggling, such as what they say or do or how they appear, it is worth finding an appropriate time and place to have a conversation with them to see if they need some support. You are not going to diagnose them, you are just going to be there as someone to offer empathy and understanding through actively listening to them, and if necessary supporting them to access the right pathway of support in a timely manner.
Some tips in managing a conversation about mental health are as follows:
- Make sure you find an appropriate place to talk. Somewhere quiet and less formal so the person doesn’t feel like they are being interviewed would be perfect. Ask them where they are comfortable talking to you, they may prefer to go for a walk and talk side by side. You can choose a location for a video chat too.
- Use positive body language. Let them know you are listening without distractions and are paying them your full and undivided attention.
- Check that you understand what they are telling you. Add small verbal comments to encourage them such as ‘I see’ or ‘what happened after that’. You could also paraphrase what they have said back to them.
- Do not use clichés. This will just alienate them and stop them from opening up to you. Expressions such as, “You are just having a bad day.” will not be helpful.
- Give them praise for talking about their mental health. Make sure they know how important a step this is to enable them to start to make changes to improve how they have been feeling.
- Let them know that they are not on their own and mental health problems are common. Reassuring them that there is lots of different support out there, and you are going to help to signpost them to these resources can be a great comfort. Make sure you don’t take over by asking them what they would like to do next. This will empower and encourage them to do what they feel able to do, with you in the background to keep them on track.
- Make sure you take some time to look after yourself after supporting someone. It can be an emotional and difficult time if someone is distressed. The phrase “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” is very appropriate and you need to build your own resources too.