Featured In: The Coalville Times, Friday, 4th February, 2022

HEALTH MATTERS WITH DR HANNA ROBBINS

February 4th marks Time to TalkDay

THE December festive break is a time to celebrate for many of us, but for others it brings feelings of loneliness and difficult memories. Dark mornings and evenings and winter weather can make it difficult to get active outside or to meet up with others.

All of this can make it a tricky time of year. Time to Talk Day is about having conversations with family, friends and colleagues about mental health. Talking about mental health can really change lives. 1 in 4 of us will have mental health problems in any given year – this means that 1 in 4 of us will struggle over the next 12 months.

Talking about it helps us support ourselves and the people around us. It doesn’t always feel easy or comfortable to talk about mental health.

Here’s some tips to get started:

• Ask questions and listen. Ask how someone is feeling and what they are going through. Listen without interrupting
• Think about where and when to talk. Sometimes talking side by side is easier than face to face. Try chatting while you’re walking, stuck in traffic, gardening, cooking
• Don’t try to fix it. Try not to offer quick fixes, just listen
• Treat them the same. When someone has a mental health problem, they are still the same person as before. Don’t treat them any differently. If you want to support them, keep it simple. Do the things you’d normally do
• Be patient. If they are not ready to talk about it, that’s ok. Letting them know that you’re up for a conversation means they know they can come back to you
https://timetotalkday.co.uk/

Mental health support:

Self referral for mental health support - 0330 094 5595

https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind- matters/mental-health-issues/anxiety/ https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/depression/