How to start a conversation

Are you ok?

Keeping in touch with others is crucial for our health and wellbeing, helping us to cope with stressful events. And having regular, meaningful conversations is simple; you don’t need special training to do it.

Here are some pointers to help you connect with someone you think may be doing it tough:

• Take the lead and ask: “Are you OK?” - Put the invitation out there: “I’ve got time to talk”, and maintain eye contact. Often just spending time with a person lets them know you care
• Use ice breakers - Use open-ended questions such as “So tell me about...?”, which require more than a “yes” or “no” answer
• Practise your listening skills - Listen to what a person is saying, be open-minded, non-judgemental and patient - let the person take their time
• Be encouraging - Encourage physical health, self-care and professional help
• Be helpful - It is unhelpful to pressure them to “snap out of it”, stay away or avoid them, tell them they just need to stay busy, suggest alcohol or drugs, or assume the problem will just go away.

Source: PPC Worldwide & R U OK?