This month at Space to Breathe we’re going to be sharing content, resources and ideas around the theme of ‘tough talking.’
In our time supporting people’s wellbeing and mental health we’ve become more and more convinced that the first step of talking about how you feel is one of the most important things we can do to become healthier and happier.
So this month we want to spotlight how talking is vital, tough as it is. We want to ask how you might go about beginning the process of talking and sharing. We want to ask what we can do to help others we care about to talk and be good listeners. We want to explore talking in this new coronavirus situation - looking at platforms to talk like Zoom, offering help for those who struggle online or haven’t got the kit to even get started and also looking at how we talk about the issues that are around us at this time.
We also want to spotlight some of the issues that it’s tough to talk about. How do we begin to talk about loss and death at the moment? We’re delighted to support Dying Matters Week and will use that time to consider how we begin to open up to feelings of loss, experiences of hardship and the incredibly difficult subject of death.
But there are many others issues it’s tough to ask about too. In the world of mental health it’s become a little easier to talk, as the media spotlight increases but it’s still very hard to speak out about mental health challenges.
In February, on Time to Talk Day I shared this little story of how someone helped me talk in the midst of a panic attack by simply asking ‘How are you?’ We’ve dug it out from the archives and you can watch it below.
These simple kind acts are usually the platform for people being confident enough to share. Kindness is the focus of this month’s Mental Health Awareness Week (18-25 May) and it’s fitting as someone’s kindness was my first step to getting help and has been the first step for many others too.
We’ve often talked about ‘The Atticus Test.’ Atticus Finch was one of the central figures in Harper Lee’s classic story ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ When seeking to challenge his young kids to understand the life and circumstances of a particularly difficult lady he encouraged them to understand life from her perspective.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
The ‘Atticus Test’ encourages each of us to take the time to get into someone else’s skin and walk around in it for a while. What’s life like when you experience Bi-Polar? How would you live with anxiety and stress of someone who’s experienced a profound trauma in their life? What would you feel like if you were having a panic attack in a crowded commuter station in rush-hour?
These acts of kindness open the door to talking. Talking is tough but it’s the first step on the road and it helps.
Why don’t you share with us your stories about #toughtalking? Use this hashtag and tag our social media with your comments and posts. We’d love to hear from you.