How to get help.

When we feel like rubbish, and our mental health just isn’t right, what do we do?

I live in the world of mental health and wellbeing, it’s what I live and breathe - and sometimes I find it hard to reach out and talk about my feelings.

So for people who don’t talk about mental health all day every day - it can feel impossible.

When we tell people to reach out and not to hold in their feelings,

I don’t think we really understand the difficulty in reaching out, because as children we are told -

Be Brave.
No tears.
Be Strong.
Mummy is so silly crying.
Get up and carry on.

And that’s from our closest family and influences. The people who shape us. No wonder we have a hard time crying and telling people when we feel sad.

How can we expect adults to easily reach out when we children we are encouraged NOT to express our emotions? How can we expect as adults to be okay with crying when our parents taught us to hide tears?

Practice, hard work, and being uncomfortable. Which is not easy when you’re already vulnerable.

So, my tips -

• When you aren’t vulnerable, practice. Have open conversations about your mental health that push boundaries for you. Ask people how they really are. Read about mental health in a way that is appealing to YOU.

• Practice saying “I’m not feeling good, can we chat?” I know, it sounds weird, but opening up is a SKILL - which needs practice. Saying the words when it feels safe is a good step to starting.

• Reach out to the right person - you KNOW who will be there to help you, and who it’s safe to be vulnerable with. Ask them 1st.

• Know there is no right way of reaching out. I wish there were, it’s hard and difficult.

  
  What about a professional? What about me? You can ping me an email or drop me a DM and I’ll get back to you - it doesn’t have to be long winded (it can be), it can be as simple as “Hey Laura, I’m struggling”.
  
  Take care,
  L xx