R U OK Day: The Value Of A Simple Conversation

Written by Recovery Partners | Sep 8, 2016 2:21:03 AM

Did you know that in a week, an average person spends 50 hours behind a screen, and only 6 hours interacting with friends and family? With a huge part of our lives being consumed by technology, it is easy to overlook the benefits of simple human interactions. A simple conversation can do a lot more for your health than you think.

Why talk?

Talking therapy, otherwise known as psychotherapy in the medical world, is a common method used by mental health organisations and doctors to assist people battling with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and PTSD. Talk therapy can help you learn about your depression and help you find ways to manage your symptoms.

This is where R U OK Day's vision stems from.

Mental Health In The Workplace:

It makes sense that a mentally healthy workplace would naturally reflect a positive and productive environment – but would you and your colleagues be able to recognise with poor mental health? Would they know who to speak with? Is it clear how the situation would be resolved?

It is so often these unanswered questions that leaves mental health in our workplaces a taboo topic. However, this item is growing with statistics indicating:

1 in 5 employees are likely to experience a mental health challenge;
Greater than 6 million working days lost in untreated depression;
Escalating to a total cost of $10.9 billion p.a. for workplaces.

What To Do?

It is as simple as taking responsibility to make face-to-face, meaningful conversations. Take the leap to ask a colleague you may not normally associate with, a stranger in the street, or the person making your coffee in the morning. It could help more than you think.

The founders of R U OK Day urge you to trust your gut instinct if someone you know or care about isn't acting as they normally would.

You can also donate to the case here.

Recovery Partners Mental Health Week Lunch

Recovery Partners have linked up with mental health specialists, Black Dog Institute, who will offer their professional insights, clinical research, and emerging strategies to tackle the growing burden within our workplaces and wider community.

This event is a fantastic opportuntity to professional organisations who are interested in learning and understanding more about mental health and its role and impact in the workplace.

For more information, please call 1300 647 789 or visit the Recovery Partners website – www.rrp.com.au

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