30 Aug 2018

There are people in your life that you know pretty damn well. Just have a look at your best friend: you know what they do on the weekend, what Netflix series they’re watching and how they like to study.

Because you know them best, you’re probably one of the first to notice when they’re acting a bit off. Maybe they forget to show up to footy practice, or are late to their favourite class or keep skipping lunch. Maybe they’ve stopped quoting The Office at every chance they get or maybe they’re constantly losing focus in class.

Sometimes we know this is just a blip- it’s exam period and they’re stressed, or they’ve had a big weekend and need to catch up on sleep.

But sometimes your gut will tell you otherwise. And that’s when you need to check in with your friends and ask if they’re all good.

This video is worth watching through- it explains pretty well how we can notice tiny changes in people and why we should trust our gut and check in to make sure everything is okay.

When you’re struggling it’s tough to reach out- we live in a world where mental health is still stigmatised and we’ve all had plenty of awkward conversations where we haven’t known the right thing to say or do. We stumble over words and desperately try to avoid saying the wrong thing.

But we shouldn’t let that stop us. We’re past the point where we can sweep mental health under the rug. If you’re feeling awkward about asking, just think about how you would feel if you were in their shoes. You would want your friends to do the same, right?

No one is expecting you to have all the answers, but you do have the ability to ask if someone is okay and we can’t afford to wait until it’s too late.

So send that text or give them a quick call. You can even tag them in the Facebook comments- just let them know you’re looking out for them; that they’re not alone.