16 Aug 2018

Taking care of your mental health can be a bitch sometimes. With pressures from school, family, work and friends seeming overwhelming, making sure you’re actually doing okay can take a back seat. If you’re feeling this, you’re not alone; 68% of you told us that you’ve experienced struggles with your mental health. Chances are your friends have too, and if you’ve ever wondered what the best way to help is, here you go.

1. Remind them that you can be trusted

I’m sure that there’s been times where you’ve needed a solid vent about whatever shit is going on in your life, but you’ve thought that your problems are either ‘no big deal’ or you didn’t know if you could trust the people around you. You might even feel like you can’t talk about your problems because the people around you won’t take you seriously, or that your friends will think less of you.

Plot twist–chances are your friends feel this way too! Let them know that you love and respect them x 100, regardless of what they’re going through, and that you’re the person that’s happy to listen to them vent about whatever’s going on in the Maccas carpark over a McFlurry.

2. Check in with them

Self-care is so important, and if you’ve noticed that one your mates seems a bit off, just check in with them. Maybe they’re avoiding eating, not talking much, look like they’re not getting any sleep or not tagging you in the usual amount of memes. Even if it seems tiny; a slight change in normal behaviour can mean something is going behind the scenes and you have nothing to lose by checking in on them. It can be as simple as ‘hey, you don’t seem yourself lately, is everything all good?’

3. Be ready to listen

Mental health is not a short-term fix. Just like it can take time and work to overcome physical injury, overcoming mental illness is no easy task. Don’t try to ‘fix’ someone or assume they’ll immediately get better overnight. Talking about what someone is going through is often the first step–not the end result. Have patience, be there for the person when you can and remind them that they’re not alone.

4. Educate yourself

If you have a friend who has a diagnosable mental health issue like depression or anxiety, do your research! Places like Headspace have incredible resources that are easily digestible and really help with making sense of issues you may not have personally experienced. Doing a bit of research doesn’t make you an expert, but it can help you understand what’s going on so that you can help your friend out a lot more.

5. There’s nothing wrong with professional help

Even if you do empathise with your friends, the stress of balancing your own priorities and what your mates are going through can become overwhelming. If you’re starting to feel unequipped, make sure you let your friend know that there’s nothing wrong with seeking professional help. Encouraging your friends to get professional help can be as simple as asking if they’ve been to the school counsellor or offering to go to the GP with them.

Helping your friends with their mental heal is easier said than done, I know. But the reality is that regardless of whatever other shit you and your friends are struggling with (major works, exams and assignments) your mental health should always come first. This school year isn’t going to have a major impact on the rest of your life but your mental health will. It’s important, so look after it.

At Year13 we know we’re not mental health professionals and we encourage anyone struggling to speak to the experts. Reach out if you need it, it’s never a bad time to ask for help.