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Know someone who is feeling low?

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Know someone who is feeling low?

Who hasn’t felt worried or stressed in recent months? Concerns about coronavirus and keeping safe and healthy, money worries due to lost or reduced income and the stress of being confined indoors during the lockdown are all taking their toll on many people. This is a challenging time for our mental health and wellbeing so checking in on your family, friends and colleagues is more important than ever.

Everyone deals with feelings of anxiety, stress and depression in different ways, but the good news is you don’t need to be an expert in mental health to offer support to someone you are worried about.

If you know someone who is feeling anxious or worried, there are simple things you can do to help as advised by Time To Change the movement set up to end mental health discrimination.


1) Check in
If someone doesn’t feel ready to meet face to face, try reaching out in other ways. Give them a phone or video call, contact them on social media or start a group chat to let them know you are there to talk and ready to listen.

2) Listen and reflect
If someone opens up to you, remember you don't need to be able to fix everything or offer professional advice. Often just listening, and showing you take them seriously, can help someone to manage better.

3) Ask questions
Ask how they are managing, and ask again if you're worried they aren't sharing the full picture. Asking again, with interest, can help someone to open up and explore what they're feeling.

Help and support services

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health problems or need urgent support, find for contact details of organisations who can help.

Find out more online about how Time To Change is working to challenge and improve attitudes around mental health problems and take the mental health quiz to test your knowledge of this important issue.

For more advice and useful resources around managing mental health visit Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

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