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You don’t need to be an expert to reach out – just a good friend and willing to listen. Today is 𝗥 𝗨 𝗢𝗞 day and while I am usually not a fan of “reaching out” on a specific day of the year, as our friends and family need us year round, I qas pleasantly surprised by this year’s campaign: 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥 𝗨 𝗢𝗞. As coach, I listen to my clients everyday. These are the people who want to change something about their health and wellbeing and have made the first step to reach out. However we also know the first step is the hardest and takes courage, so being there for our friends and lending an ear is very important. If you notice someone close to you seems a bit off and not themselves, don’t just ask whether they’re ok, use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗥 𝗨 𝗢𝗞 ? · Find a private space · Ask open questions, such as “What’s been happening?” · Voice your concerns · If they don’t want to talk, don’t take it personally. Just let them know you’ll be there if they need someone to listen 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 · Don’t interrupt and give thinking space when needed. Silence isn’t a bad thing · Don’t judge or criticize, simply listen and acknowledge what’s going on · Encourage them to dig deeper “Have you always felt that way” 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 · Ask – “Where would you like to go from here?” · Help brainstorm – what activities may be enjoyable and support them · If you’ve had similar experiences, share what worked for you. · Let them know that there is no shame in seeking professional help, on the contrary – it shows immense strength to reach out and ask for help, and they’ve done the first step by talking to you!

A post shared by Spark Courage (@sparkcourage) on Sep 9, 2020 at 10:02pm PDT

For more info on how to continue a conversation after asking “R U OK?” head to ruok.org.au