Saturday 10th October 2026
Why does talking about Mental Health matter?
When was the last time you asked someone how they were feeling and expected a genuine answer. Or do we just wait for the default answer we all know and love to use.
‘I’m good, you’
It’s a copout, a polite way to engage in a conversation. When was the last time you sat down and had a conversation about someone’s feelings that lasted more than three words.
World Mental Health Day is all about bringing these topics to the forefront of everyone’s conversations. To dig a little deeper when speaking about how you feel.
Mental health, no matter the context, is always built around a stigma and raises an uncomfortable conversation. But why?
If we are feeling a bit under the weather, we have no shame in sharing it with others but if our minds are having a tough time it takes a bit more courage. We should express our feelings, the good, the bad, the ugly because becoming more confident to talk about mental health, should make it easier for people to ask for support when they need it.
“When we talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” — Fred Rogers
What does ‘Mental Health’ actually mean?
Everyone has Mental Health
It’s a common misunderstanding that when mental health is mentioned, it’s regarding a mental illness. However, mental health is much broader than that.
It’s something everyone has just as they have physical health. Therefore, our mental health can change and vary from day to day like our physical health.
One day we might feel confident and ready for anything that comes our way but other days we may feel overwhelmed and lonely, left with a lingering feeling that everything is too much for us to deal with and that is okay.
It’s not a sign something is ‘wrong’ with us, it just simply makes us humans. The human mind is complex, and we shouldn’t be expected to deal with such a complex thing without support. Mental Health isn’t simply good or bad; there’s a whole lot of in-between.
You might:
- Feel stressed or overwhelmed
- Have a few bad days
- Struggle with your confidence one week but not the next
- Feel anxious about a particular situation
- Be exhausted and emotionally drained
But the next day you could feel a lot brighter and the best way to do this is to simply talk to someone. Perhaps most importantly, you don’t have to wait to be struggling to start looking after your mental health, just like if we develop symptoms we go to the doctors before it becomes serious. We can start to look after our own and others mental wellbeing as a part of our everyday life.
Here’s how:
- Talking to someone you trust or using the facilities offered to you such as a mental health lead at work
- Check in with yourself, ask if you are okay
- Spend a few hours ‘phone free’, the busy online world can often lead to more harm than good
- Regular sleep and a good routine to regulate your nervous system after a long day
- Set boundaries and protect your own time, do things you enjoy and don’t overwhelm yourself
- Be okay with the fact not every day will be perfect or even good, sit in your feelings and don’t put pressure on yourself to change those feelings
- Ask for more support if you need it, a healthcare professional or an appropriate support service can help if you feel further support is needed
Mental Health; Myth vs Reality
Myth: ‘If I can do everyday tasks such as go to work, I must be fine’
Reality: Being able to cope with every day demands does not mean you are feeling okay, you can repress feelings when you have something important to do or are simply busy.
Myth: ‘Mental health problems are always obvious, so I’ll know if something is wrong with someone’
Reality: Low mental health is not something that always shows on the outside, someone can appear happy but still be quietly struggling on the inside.
Myth: ‘Talking might just make it worse and make me feel embarrassed’
Reality: ‘Talking wont magically make all your problems disappear, but it can help you to feel heard, recognise you’re not alone and seek the support you need.
Myth: ‘You only need to think and speak to someone about your mental wellbeing when something is clearly wrong’
Reality: Your mental health deserves attention every day. You don’t have to know perfectly what you would say to someone but starting a conversation is enough.
These myths vs reality depict the stigmas around talking about mental health so if we now know it’s okay to speak up, what could simply happen if we did.
The benefits of speaking up
- It can help you feel less alone, keeping feelings in can isolate you in your own mind and convince you that you’re the only one feeling this way, which is never true.
- It will move weight from your shoulders and share it with someone else which can make your thoughts more manageable
- It can strengthen your relationships with everyone around you; a meaningful conversation can help people understand how to support you.
- It also supports the objective of world mental health day by challenging the stigma around it as every time one person speaks up, it will become a little easier for someone else
How can we help at GLP training
Speaking up can feel scary but knowing where to take the next step can be encouraging,
Support is offered here at GLP training, whether you are a learner or an employee we are always happy to help
What we can offer;
- Safeguarding team made up of highly professional and supportive members who are always dedicated to helping
- Access to the Hub of hope, Learners can be directed to this to find appropriate support and services
- All our staff are open to listening and will support any of your needs with a smile on their face!
This World Mental Health Day, let’s move beyond the simple question of ‘are you okay’ and allow space for the real answer, check in with your friends, family, colleagues and if you need further support then seek out to a professional, take control of your mental health by speaking up.