Having a chat to someone who seems out of sorts can be the first step to helping them feel better. It’s an easy thing to do and can make a surprising amount of difference. There’s nothing to feel awkward about, you chat all the time – so take a break, grab a brew and have a catch-up for 10 minutes over the phone, text, video-call or in person if it’s possible to do so.

Time to Change has got some handy tips on having that first conversation about mental health, here are a few:

• Find ways to talk about mental health that work for you. More and more sportspeople and celebrities are talking about their mental health in the papers and on TV, so you could start by chatting about them, or kick things off by asking about plans for the weekend. Remember, how someone’s feeling can come up as part of regular, everyday conversations.
• It can sometimes be easier to talk on the phone, by text or Whatsapp, rather than face-to-face. Take the pressure off each other – you don’t have to have a formal sit-down or video chat.
• Talking about mental health problems, even relatively sensitive subjects like self-harm and suicide won’t make them any more likely to experience it. Being open about it might mean they feel comfortable asking for help sooner.

For more ideas and guides on getting support from Time to Change, click on this button.

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