How are you… really?
How are you… really?
For many of us, the pandemic has created higher levels of anxiety, stress and other mental health concerns. Look after yourselves, and each other.
Among the many devastating health impacts of COVID-19, the knock-on effects of bereavement, lockdowns, and the loss of livelihoods and support networks has brought on mental health issues that can be hard to cope with.
Whether it’s general fear, worry and confusion about our safety and that of our loved ones, or deeper traumas like grief, depression or the triggering of addictions and unhealthy behaviours, talking about our feelings with people we trust can be a good first step to dealing with it.
Talking through our emotions or negative feelings can help us identify them, and make us all feel less alone. Sometimes starting those conversation is the hardest part.
Today you could offer support to a friend by asking them – “how are you really?”
Asking that simple question can help our friends and family open up about how they are feeling.
And if you want to talk to someone you trust about your feelings, here are a few ways you could start the conversation:
- I have some things on my mind, do you have time to talk?
- I’ve been feeling a bit down recently
- It’s been a hard few days, can I talk to you about it?
You can find more information and resources on how to look after your mental well-being on the World Health Organization website. And if you have children or young people in your life, you may want to use these helpful resources from UNICEF, and show them this video about how the younger generation can support themselves and each other.
We all need someone to talk to sometimes.
