It’s good to talk – and we can help you express yourself

To celebrate Time to Talk Day, the Charlie Watkins Foundation has teamed up with YES (Youth Enquiry Service), the youth support network in Colchester and Tendering to launch a new project designed to start a real conversation with young people.

“A small conversation about mental health has the power to make a big difference,” claim the organisers of Time to Talk Day, whose theme for 2021 is The Power of Small.

Here at the Charlie Watkins Foundation, we know that the more conversations we have the more chance we have to dispel stigma and myths and break down barriers surrounding mental health. So we see Time to Talk Day as a great opportunity to encourage young people to express themselves when they are struggling.

This viewpoint is shared with our friends at YES, an organisation offering advice and help on a range of issues from benefits and debt, family crisis, housing and homelessness to pregnancy, self-harm, anxiety, and depression. As a result of this mutual understanding, together we will be delivering a project in early Spring supporting 11–16-year-olds to get talking and support them to receive help for their challenges.

Get talking

Talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you are not coping as well. This isn’t a sign of weakness, but part of taking charge of your wellbeing and doing what you can to stay healthy. Talking can be a way to cope and just being listened to can help you feel supported and less alone. Have you ever heard the saying “a problem shared is a problem halved” meaning when you express how you are feeling, you will be in a better position to get the support you need to manage those feelings?

You could try speaking to friends or family. You don’t need to sit your loved ones down for a big conversation about your wellbeing. Many people feel more comfortable when these conversations develop naturally – maybe when you’re doing something together. If this is too hard, consider other forms of talking therapies – such as counselling or support services online or over the phone. Talking therapy is for anyone who is going through a difficult time or has emotional problems they need help with.