How to talk about your mental health

During our talk with Narelle and Benjamin Kheng last year, they shared the importance of understanding your own emotions and how talking about them may get you started on your road to recovery.

It may be difficult for a lot of us to speak up and maybe even more difficult to approach the conversation. You may be worried about expressing your feelings or how people will react to the conversation. If you don’t think you have someone to talk to, you may refer to this guide for mental health resources available. 

It can be scary opening up, especially if you’ve been struggling for a long time but in doing so, it helps you actualize your feelings. It also gives the people in your life a chance to support and help you. 

Before opening up about your mental health, it is helpful to understand what you’re going through. Look back on your emotions and try to understand what or why you’re feeling. Narelle shared that Google helped her learn many vocabularies and choose what works for her. By doing so, it helps organize your thoughts and feelings before going into a difficult conversation. Plus, it will help the person you’re talking to understand you a bit better. 

As we contemplate about who in our lives makes the right person to talk to, the pair of siblings shared their useful tips 

#1 Trust your instincts 

Depending on your situation and how you’re feeling, there may be certain people you feel more comfortable confiding in. Don’t feel guilty about approaching one person over another or not telling everyone in your life what you’re going through. 

#2 Understanding what makes you feel better

Maybe you’re like Ben, physical touches like a hug can help put you at ease. Or perhaps, if you're like Narelle, words of affirmation like “You can do it” is sufficient for you to take on the rest of the day. Whatever it is, listen to your mind and body, it will lead you to what you need. 

#3 Set aside time

Talking about your mental health is a serious topic, give the person whom you choose to talk to a heads up. Let them set aside some time for you so you can create your own safe space with no distractions. 

Ben reminds us that while we open up to someone about our struggles, don’t expect that they will be able to solve our problems. Likewise, if you’re talking to someone else about their struggles, don’t try to dish out advice or diagnose them. Try to be there for them and understand them by keeping your questions open-ended. 

It is important to note that everyone’s experience may be different. Hence, discretion is critical here. You do what you are comfortable with. Disclosure does not have to be all or nothing. It is a very personal decision and keep in mind that you are always in charge of it. You got this! 

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If you are looking for a resource on how to help your loved ones, you may refer to this write-up