Toolkit

Starting the conversation

Talking is important.

It’s how we share ideas, work together, and build friendships.

And it’s also how we ask for help when we need it. Sadly, that can sometimes feel really difficult. We might not know who will listen, or even know who to share our worries with when we need to. And when it comes to talking about mental health, that can be even harder.

Time to Talk Day 2024 is on the 1st of February. It’s run by Rethink Mental Illness and Mind, in partnership with Co-op, and it’s a chance for organisations to think about their approaches to mental health, and how to encourage everyone to feel comfortable and safe talking about their mental wellbeing.

So, what might talking about mental health look like at your organisation? Maybe there are some staff members with lived experience of poor mental health who might be willing to share their stories. You might like to take a look at your processes, to make sure everyone is getting the chance to build healthy, trusting working relationships. Perhaps you, or someone you know, isn’t quite ready to talk about their mental health, but might appreciate just knowing there are people around. Or, you might want to focus on how to become a good listener – to know how to respond if someone tells you they aren’t okay, or might need some extra support.

We’ve collected together some of the best resources on our site for getting people talking. Whether it’s advice on how to start the conversation yourself, how to react if someone discloses to you, or just ways to improve the way your organisation talks about mental wellbeing, we hope they’ll be useful for you.


Resources in this toolkit:


Quick
Resources

​Wellbeing conversation mat

Web page

This mat is designed to open up a discussion about wellbeing within a team, focused on the five pillars of the PERMA wellbeing model. It helps to explore the model and offers an immediate 'pulse check' to help decide what to do next.

Paid for Enquire via website to order
Quick
Resources

​This is Me

Web page

This is Me is a business-led campaign to support organisations, and their employees, to talk about mental health. It encourages people with experience of a mental health problem, whether their own or of a loved one, to share their stories.

Free