Harry Corin
Harry Corin is the founder of Corin &Co, a global mental health training and consultancy business. Their services and foundations are built on empathy, kindness and hope....
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How do I start a conversation with my employer about my own mental health?
Taking that first step to have a conversation with someone about your own mental health is very difficult. I'm not going to sit here and say, go out and make that conversation today, because I know it's not quite as simple as that. And for me, it took many years, but it was in the workplace that I took that first step. But I felt like I could do that because of the characteristics and the experience that I had in the early weeks of joining that employer. And people wanted to understand me. They wanted to understand more about my own challenges, but who I was as a person. And I had this very early a connection with individual people, and that I guess, gave me a sense of comfort that actually maybe I could share of this workplace like I never had done in the past. Taking that first step is difficult and many people will lean on different people for support. That could be a colleague perhaps who is trained in mental health first aid. It could be if you're lucky enough to have a very good friend and best friend in work, but also your manager or someone who works in an HR capacity if you happen to have that in your workplace. So there is a variety of different supports that are in our immediacy, but also many workplaces will have access to something such as an employee assistance provider, where there'll be trained professionals who can have those important conversations with you. But if you don't want to speak internally at work for perhaps stigma or any judgement that you feel might be passed on you, then there is support outside of the workplace available through your GP and through variety of different private therapy options, but also through some of the amazing charities that I'm very proud to say I work alongside as well. So there is support available, but understanding where you feel most comfortable taking that first step is something that you should consider and take time to think about the impact on you. But everyone is on their own journey. But if you are ever in crisis, then there is emergency crisis support available through the likes of Calm on oh 858, 58 58, and they have a tech support service as well. And the phone line is available five o'clock till midnight.
How can I support a colleague that is struggling with their mental health?
If you're worried about a colleague or someone that you work closely with, start a conversation. Sometimes we worry that if we say something that could be an instigator to worsen how that person is feeling, but that might be very isolating for that person at that time coming into work, perhaps there is a concern and if you spot that you have an opportunity to actually perhaps make a difference to how that person feels in work. And if we can play our role in reducing the stigma for people who we work with when they're in work, that will have ripple effects outside of the workplace as well. So in my opinion, I think we start the conversations, but we need to plan that. We need to think about the approach where we're going to have the conversation, making sure that your comfortable and the person is comfortable and planning, because if we don't plan, we might rush in and we might say things that aren't quite right. So actually it's about taking that time, planning, preparing, and acting on your gut. If you're worried about someone, act upon that gut instinct and start a conversation.
If I am struggling with my mental health, should I talk to someone?
It is very easy to sit here and say that everyone should talk to someone if they're struggling with their mental health. For me, it took me over a decade to ever share that I was struggling with my mental health and some of the thoughts that I was having in my mind. And for me, I wish I spoke earlier. The first time I spoke ever around my mental health. I could feel that relief. I could feel that I wasn't being judged. And for me, that was just a one-to-one situation with a trained professional. But even then, it took time. It took time for me to have the, I guess, courage and strength and want to actually share with other people. So it's a journey and everyone's journey is going to be a different timeframe, and it's going to be different people that we connect with. But now there are so many different forms of support that exist in our workplaces, but also in our wider communities as well. And starting a conversation with someone who we are worried about can also be the role that we play in helping someone actually share. So if you are someone who is struggling with their mental health and in a place of difficulty, there is a wide range of supports available through your workplace, perhaps through your sector support, perhaps through employee assistance providers, but also the range of different charities and the fact we all hopefully have access to a GP as well. So it's hard. It can be a really difficult first step, but for many people, that first step can be the most crucial step that they take.