Do you find it difficult to discuss your mental health with loved ones? Time to Talk Day is the perfect opportunity to change that.
This event, taking place on 6 February 2025, is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation. It’s goal is to encourage friends, families, communities, and workplaces across the UK to come together to talk about mental health.
Read on to learn why you should discuss your mental health with your loved ones, and five tips on how you can make the conversation as comfortable as possible.
Why don’t people talk about their mental health?
In a recent study, Mind discovered that 45% of people believe mental health is a taboo subject.
One of the reasons people find it difficult to start these challenging conversations is because of the stigma surrounding mental health. This can lead to further issues adding to people’s mental health problems, including:
- Discrimination
- Fewer opportunities for work, school, or social activities
- The belief that you’ll never succeed at certain challenges or believing you can’t improve your own situation.
Speaking openly about your, and your loved ones’, mental health is one of the ways you can address and treat potential problems, even if the conversation is uncomfortable.
1 in 4 people experience a mental health issue
While you might be thinking that this doesn’t apply to you, Time to Talk Day found that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
The campaign also found the cost of living crisis is making it harder to look after mental health – the poorest fifth of the population is twice as likely to develop a mental health problem.
The more conversations you have about mental health, the more opportunity you have to improve your life and that of those around you.
It’s vital to remember that mental health problems are treatable and people with mental illnesses can and do live fulfilling, productive, and happy lives. However, they might need support to reach this position.
Discussing your feelings and emotional wellbeing regularly, even if you don’t think there is anything wrong, opens the conversation for the people around you to discuss their problems so you can support them.
Tips for discussing your mental health
If you want to try discussing your mental health this Time to Talk Day but aren’t sure where to start or are worried about feeling awkward, here are five tips.
1. Listen actively
While your loved ones are speaking to you, ensure you show them that you are listening and paying attention.
This can come in the form of seeming engaged while they are talking through your body language, such as not being distracted by something else or nodding at the right time.
You can also show this by asking appropriate and open questions about what they are saying to get a better understanding of how they feel. This could sound something like: “How does that affect you?”.
Listening actively to what your loved ones are saying can validate their feelings and make them feel more supported and cared for than if you seemed uncomfortable or distracted.
2. Choose the right time and place
Some situations will naturally make you feel more uncomfortable than others.
If you want to bring up a difficult conversation, it’s important to start in a place where you feel safe.
For example, if you find it easier to have a conversation side-by-side rather than face-to-face, you can talk to your friends and family while walking or in a car.
Furthermore, starting a conversation while doing another activity – such as cooking or watching a film – can help you start the conversation because you have a distraction to ease any feelings of stress or worry.
3. Don’t try to fix their mental health
If someone you love comes to you with their problems, your instant reaction might be to offer solutions to what they’re going through.
Unfortunately, this may do more harm than good.
Learning to manage or recover from a mental health problem can be a long journey and they’ve likely already considered lots of the quick fixes you come up with.
Being there for somebody and letting them talk to you freely can be very powerful, so unless they ask for advice, it might be best to just listen.
4. Don’t treat people differently
Patronising or pitying people after they’ve disclosed a mental health problem can make them feel worse than before they opened up to you.
If you want to support someone, ask them what would be most helpful. If they tell you that they don’t need any help or ask you to change your behaviour, then respecting their boundaries can be the most supportive thing you can do.
5. Be patient with your loved ones
No matter how hard you try, some people might not be ready to discuss their mental health.
There isn’t much you can do about this. But offering to speak to them about their emotions in the first place means they can come to you if they need to later on.
If you need support for your mental health and none of your friends or family members are comfortable discussing their feelings, then you might benefit from exploring some options in your local community.
This could include a professional therapist or a local group, such as a walk, a communal garden, or a group of people who regularly meet up for tea and a deep conversation.
