Often when we recognise a person is experiencing difficulties with their mental health, our instinct is to make it better. We are inclined to point out the things the person in question should be grateful for; the things that are worth celebrating (Brene Brown illustrates this brilliantly here). Although this comes from a good place, this is not the way to show empathy. A simple acknowledgement is a good place to start. Recognising that we might not have the answers but being open to a conversation, being open to listening, is an even better start.

The Mindtalk series of resources (downloads below) are designed to do just that – open up channels for conversations to take place with guided questions to help begin these discussions. The stigma associated with mental health often means people can be reluctant to talk about it. The reality is, the only way we can reduce this stigma, is with better awareness and more open and frank conversations about the fact that we ALL have mental health. Nobody has perfect mental health. Nobody is any better or worse than another person because of their quality of mental health. It is unpredictable, it is invisible and it feeds off silence. So let’s start talking.