The UK’s biggest mental health conversation begins on Thursday, 03 February 2022.
Time to talk day will see conversations about mental health begin at work, at home, in schools.
Why is it important to talk about mental health?
Talking about mental health means we can support ourselves and others. The more we talk about it, the easier it is for people to ask for help. Remember, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
We have listed ten ideas you can use at work:
1. Have a mental health lunch
Gather a few colleagues and arrange a mental health lunch. You can meet in the office or canteen or even on Zoom or Teams. Ask open questions such as, “what does that feel like?”
2. Reach out in an email or text
Sending an email or a text telling a colleague it is ‘time to talk day’ is a great starter. Follow it up with a call or a face-to-face chat.
3. Arrange a coffee morning
It’s great to organise a more relaxed short event for the team but even if you can’t, then just suggest a coffee with a couple of colleagues and talk with them about the power of conversation to reduce stigma. Think about the right time and the right place. It can be easier to have a conversation side-by-side rather than face-to-face.
4. Set up a support group
It doesn’t have to be too formal. Speak to your HR department. You don’t have to try and fix everything. Sometimes having a safe space to talk and listen can be enormously powerful.
5. Organise check-in meetings
Ten-minute structured conversations about how employees are feeling is a wonderful way to get conversations going and normalise the discussion about mental health.
6. Take a mental health quiz
Organising a quick work quiz can be a simple and fun way to get the conversation about mental health started.
7. Book a speaker
Listening to stories and experiences can be a great conversation starter. It doesn’t have to be formal training and a mental health webinar can work just as well. Ask one of your mental health first-aiders to speak.
8. Set up a buddy system
Split everyone into pairs and ask them to have a five-minute conversation. Remember to emphasise listening.
9. Head out and about
Walking and talking are great ways to get the conversation flowing as well as the blood pumping. Even if it’s a five-minute walk around the office building – you may be surprised at the results.
10. Get the expert help
Time to talk day is the perfect opportunity to announce to your employees that they can speak to mental health experts as well as their co-workers. Consider your organisation joining a proactive employee assistance programme.
Use the Time to Talk Day to discuss what employees need support with and how that could be incorporated into a wellbeing strategy or a wellbeing workshop / event.
It’s great to start conversations about mental health and hopefully, we can keep them going. There are lots of other things you can do to reduce mental health stigma at work.