Time To Talk
George Anderson
Helping ambitious teams who want to maintain peak performance through periods of pressure without burning out, through coaching, consulting, keynotes and training programs
A pinch and a punch for the first of the month...
I did that to my 5 year old this morning and he hadn't a clue what was going on.
He actually hit me back, though I might have just saved him from an awkward moment in the playground!
1st of Feb is also 'Time To Talk' Day, where social campaign Time To Change are encouraging more people to reach out and talk to somebody about their mental health.
I've heard many stories over the last year or so from people suffering from mental health issues, and also those supporting them.
I fully support the Time To Talk campaign, but more of us need to know how to listen so we can actually hear what people are saying to us.
It's a natural response for some to leap into 'fixer mode' when somebody comes to us with a problem.
I know this has been my default setting for many years.
And whilst it's usually done with love and the very best intentions, it's possibly not the most effective support we can offer.
Sometimes we don't need a solution, we just need to feel like we're being heard and understood.
A short article on the ThriveGlobal website (which I can no longer find to link to!) suggested that the best way to support somebody who reaches out to talk is to ask:
'How can I love you the best right now?'
I know, a bit bleugh right?
Water the language down a little if you need to, and you have the principle of asking the only person in the world who knows what kind of support they want, to let us know.
The mental health conversation can only continue to gather momentum if it's a two way street.
More people willing to talk about their feelings means more people need to be ready to listen.
Without judgement, without preconceptions, and without feeling like we need to have the all the answers.
Let's keep the conversation going :)