Today is Time To Talk Day; a UK wide event dedicated to bringing people and communities together and to encourage anyone who may be struggling to talk about their mental health. This is especially important given that statistically 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
Time to Talk Day was launched in 2014 by Time to Change, a campaign to end mental health stigma and discrimination, which was run together by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness with support from the Co-Op. The day is all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health.
We all have mental health, by talking about it we can support ourselves and others. TTTD aims to support communities up and down the country to have more mental health conversations than ever before.
Conversations about mental health have the power to change lives; recent research shows how important open conversations in communities are to support everyone’s mental wellbeing.
Talking about mental health isn’t always easy. However, the more conversations we have about it, the better life is for everyone. By talking about mental health, we can bust myths and break down barriers. Some resources that can be used to help start a conversation include:
Keep in mind that these can used anytime, not just for today.
From attending an activity in your community, to sharing information on social media or even just checking in with a friend, there are loads of ways you can take part in Time to Talk Day. Let’s talk about mental health.
You can also read some Time to Talk Day Personal Stories, such as the one below:
“A lot of people want to talk, but don't know how to start. That's why Time to Talk Day is important to me. The more we have these conversations, the more people can see what mental health problems might look like, because it's not always obvious.”
Visit their website for more information.