Better questions for Mental Health

How are you?' is a well intentioned question, but when it comes to our mental health it DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK. Here's why.

Brains under pressure struggle to problem solve, which means that direct questions that require an immediate response can be overwhelming.

On top of that, the answer is probably so complicated that we hesitate to answer for fear of opening an emotional can of worms.

So how do we communicate with someone without placing extra pressure on them or ourselves?

Check-in using language that doesn't demand a response but lets the other person know you are there.

Here are some ideas you can use:
Just checking in...
I've been thinking about you...
I see you've got a lot going on at the moment...
I'm going to keep touching base so you know I'm here...

Simple statements can be lifelines for people who don't have the capacity to respond at the moment. Stay in touch.