R U OK? Day is a national day of action to remind all Australians of the importance of regularly checking in with our mates, colleagues and family and asking, “are you ok?”.

Often Mental Health is a difficult and complex topic of conversation and sometimes a person who is doing it tough won’t tell you.

If you have noticed a change in a friend or you just have a gut feeling that something is wrong, R U OK? Day is an opportunity to find a moment to have a chat and check in.

You can help them to open up by asking questions like “How you are going?” or “What’s been happening?” or “I’ve noticed that you’re not quite yourself lately. How are things?”

If they aren’t ok. What can you do?

Listen.

You won’t always have the answers, or be able to provide the right sort of help to the person. Some problems are too big for mates and family to solve and they need professional help.

You can encourage the person to take action by asking;
“What do you need from me? How can I help?”
“What would be a good first step we can take?”
“Have you thought about going to see the doctor?”

Check in with them from time to time and see if things are improving. Understand that sometimes it takes a while to admit you need help. Stick with them and know that your support means a lot.