World Mental Health Day: What We Don’t Say – Bringing Feelings into our Daily Conversation

World Mental Health Day, marked each year on October 10, reminds us just how essential it is to invest in our mental health and wellbeing. It’s all about creating a culture where it is okay to talk, to ask for help and to support each other as we navigate life’s challenges. The official theme for 2025 is “Access to services - mental health in catastrophes and emergencies,” urging us all to focus on protecting our minds in unstable times while supporting those around us.​

All In This Together

Mental health doesn’t belong to one person alone. It threads through families, workplaces, classrooms, and neighbourhoods, often quietly, sometimes loudly. Despite this, stigma and silence are still hanging around. Far too many people keep their worries or low moods hidden away out of embarrassment or fear, coping behind closed doors. Men, especially, can have an even tougher time. Reaching out for help can feel like admitting defeat or failure, and sharing feelings often sees completely off-limits, which only heightens the risk for them.

Now, imagine if we treated the wellbeing of our minds the same way we look after our bodies: checking in with each other regularly, making space for open chats aout how we’re feelings, and building communities where support and everyday acts of kindness are genuinely part of how we keep well. 

What Our Energy Might Be Saying

Sometimes we meet someone and think, “No thanks, I don’t need that negative energy today”. If we put on our mental health hat, that reaction could be considered a nudge to look a little deeper – perhaps they are struggling with worry, sadness or simply feeling flat. Instead of turning away, it can be a good moment to check in or show a bit of kindness.  Other times, we may notice someone with high energy – talking fast, restless or unable to slow down. While it might seem upbeat, that rush can sometimes mask anxiety or feelings of being overwhelmed. Not every low or high energy is a sign that something is wrong but by noticing these shifts, it gives us opportunities to support the people around us.

Sometimes these shifts – whether a noticeable lack of energy or a sudden burst of restlessness – can be signs of deeper mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or something else going on beneath the surface. This isn’t about labelling anyone but about remembering that energy tells a story and sometimes that story deserves a bit more support and attention.

What We Talk About and What We Don’t

It’s funny how quick we are to moan about sore shoulders or headaches, but when it comes to worries or feeling low, most of us keep quiet. Emotional aches rarely get talked about, even though they matter just as much – and silence has a way of feeding shame, making it even harder to open up. We’ll share tips for colds or gym injuries and discuss supplements that will help us but admitting to anxiety or sadness is usually saved for private moments. Struggles don’t just vanish because we ignore them, the more we treat mental health as something we can mention, the more we open the door for others to do the same.

Small Interventions, Big Impact

This is where practical movements like Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) come in. MHFA isn’t about diagnosis or therapy - it’s about giving everyday people simple, helpful ways to notice early signs of distress, listen well, and guide someone towards support.

Training happens everywhere - from businesses and youth clubs to sports teams and religious spaces - and anyone can step up. You don’t have to be an expert, just present and willing.

MHFA focuses on spotting depression, anxiety, burnout, and substance misuse, as well as tackling tough topics like self-harm, trauma, eating disorders, and suicide prevention in straightforward language. The backbone is a simple action plan: assess risk, listen without judgement, offer reassurance, encourage professional help, and support self-care.

When communities and workplaces embrace MHFA, people open up more, teams feel brighter, isolation fades, and support reaches young people in places that might otherwise feel tough. In short, MHFA helps turn ordinary kindness into everyday action and early support can often be the difference between quietly coping and finally reaching out for help.

Spotlight: Piloting Change

One inspiring new initiative is in Cascais, Portugal. MHFA has been proposed as a municipality-wide programme, training adults and youth as everyday first responders to mental health needs. The aim: making support routine, and stigma a thing of the past. It’s a model that many other areas could follow, building strong, compassionate communities ready to help and signpost as soon as someone is struggling.

Playing a Part

So, let’s start a discussion that goes beyond the aches and pains. Let’s notice changes in someone’s mood and be open about our own if we can. Every act of care, every honest chat, every small gesture makes a difference - especially when times feel hard.

Let’s make silence less powerful, and lead with ordinary kindness not just on World Mental Health Day, but every day from here on. That’s how real community care begins.

Lucy Bello is a counsellor and psychotherapist at www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk

Contact her at counsellingwithlucy1@gmail.com

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