National Time to Talk Day
A message we want to share
We’re not the types to pay attention to just any “national something day,” although we’ve been known to celebrate the occasional National Taco (or Margarita) Day when we’re feeling festive. But this one popped up on our calendars, and we just couldn’t resist the chance to tell people about it.
National Time to Talk Day is happening next Thursday, February 4th so mark your calendars. The intention when it was founded in 2014 was to draw attention to mental health and the importance of reaching out to others. The founders at Time to Change (an organization dedicated to ending mental health discrimination) created this day to encourage people to open up, share their feelings, start talking about their personal struggles… take the first step to begin healing.
The importance of talking about mental health
Time to Talk Day sprung from a deep understanding of the history of mental health discrimination against women and the mentally ill. Women who suffered from postpartum depression, anxiety or rebelled against the social norms were often locked away and treated horribly in mental institutions. There’s so much interesting and tragic history (seriously, read this article) around the evolution of mental health treatment, but it gets better every year, which gives us unlimited hope in a very difficult time.
We all know that the past twelve months have taken an unusually difficult toll on people the world over - none of us are immune to the stress, loneliness, and pressure we have faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. It will take years to fully understand the toll this devastation has taken on each of us personally and our society as a whole. Time to Talk Day is a perfect opportunity to begin or continue those conversations.
“A small conversation about mental health has the power to make a big difference.”
How can you participate?
Start today! Make a list of people you haven’t spoken to for a while or those you know who may be particularly lonely this time of year. Have any single friends who have been quarantining? Or anyone in your life who you know struggles with depression? Anyone you could reach out to will benefit from a conversation with you!
Schedule time with them and try a face-to-face via an online video call when meeting in person just isn’t an option (we’re currently in quarantine ourselves!). Now… how to get the conversation rolling?
Start with small talk. Ask about how they’ve been spending their day. Are they getting outside for walks or at least a little fresh air?
Inquire who they’ve been talking to and seeing. How is everyone? Are their personal relationships suffering right now? Brainstorm with them on how to strengthen the communication while in lockdown.
Open up about a personal struggle you’re having right now. Sharing your own difficulties is often enough to get other people to share.
Talk about the good stuff too! Ask what’s positive in their lives, and tell them some good things that have happened to you lately.
Don’t hang up until you schedule your next call. You’re showing them that you care - and this is as good for your mental health as it is for them!
At Alcea. the topic of mental health is of extreme importance to us. We speak with individuals and couples every single day who have struggled for years with infertility and often lifetimes of discrimination. This can take an enormous toll on their mental health - we have the hard conversations every day, and we see the immediate benefits of the simple act of talking and listening. We look forward to hearing your stories of how taking some time to talk has helped you or someone you love.
Share your participation and your own stories on social media with the hashtag #TimetoTalkDay and with us at @alcea_surrogacy on Instagram. The more we talk about it, the more normalized it will become.
