A Few Thoughts about Time to Talk Day 2020

The way I see it, bottling stuff goes one of two ways; an implosion or an explosion. When we explode; we lash out and take our struggles out on others. However, when we implode, we focus that same energy internally. In either case; we and the people around us suffer. That’s not to say it’s selfish or wrong to keep things to yourself; words are hard and sometimes you can’t talk until you’re ready to connect but from my experience, keeping stuff inside is incredibly unhealthy. Your mental health is of critical importance, as important as your physical health in fact. No-one should suffer in silence, feel alone, embarrassed or feel inferior for their feelings; which is one of the many reasons why I support Time to Talk Day.

To reinforce the point though; me valuing openness and choosing not to keep feelings left unsaid in my life, doesn’t mean pressuring others into doing the same. It means being empathetic to the difficulty in doing so. Whether we’re talking adults or children, the message here is the same. I talk because it is healthy and share my experiences to inspire, not to pressure.

This is the correct message, the right take away from Time to Talk Day. Talking changes lives. I talk about mental health to feel better and because it feels right but I also talk with the hope (but not expectation) that people talk back.

So, I believe that being open is best but because I’ve learned how, doesn’t mean I should diminish the difficulty of it. I also can’t ignore the fact that I’m fortunate enough to have a partner who makes this so easy, shares the same outlook and supports my decision to do so. Not everyone is so lucky.

Whether it comes to encouraging your children, friends, colleagues, partner or family members; the best inspiration I’ve found to helping others open up and talk, is to be the change you want to see in the world.

The Busy Papa

Also known as Aaron, The Busy Papa focuses on lifestyle, parenting and personal wellbeing content. He has two decades experience in creative writing (including several published poems) and strongly dislikes (though tolerates) tomatoes.