Taking place on 6th February 2025, Time to Talk Day is a day for friends, families, communities and workplaces to come together and talk about mental health.
Spearheaded by leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, in partnership with Co-op, Time to Talk Day encourages people to make time for a real conversation about mental health and share their worries.
It’s also a reminder that just being there for someone, and listening, can make a huge difference.
Across the UK, Time to Talk Day is delivered by different charities, including See Me with SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) in Scotland, Inspire in Northern Ireland and Time to Change Wales.
Get comfortable talking about mental health with Time to Talk Day
The charity partners want everyone to feel comfortable talking about mental health.
Last year’s campaign revealed that nearly two thirds of people in the UK put on a brave face to avoid talking about their mental health and wellbeing, while nearly half are less likely to share their problems as they don’t want to worry others in difficult times.
The key message for 2025 is that “talking openly and honestly can be the first step towards better mental health for everyone. It can reduce stigma and help people feel comfortable enough to seek help when they need it.”
Originally conceived in 2014 as part of the Time to Change campaign, the national awareness day was launched by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness to help end mental health stigma and discrimination.
Statistics suggest that 1 in 4 adults will experience a mental health problem each year. This equates to around 15 million people. Talking openly about mental health helps to reduce the stigma surrounding it, so that all those affected by mental health struggles feel empowered to seek help when they need it most.
Take part in Time to Talk Day
The charity partners provide free resource packs, a Time to Talk Day newsletter and suggested social media posts.
The dedicated Time to Talk website provides information and participation ideas for community groups, sports clubs, employers, schools, colleges, universities and youth groups.
Ideas include hosting a “tea and talk”, “walk and talk” or “lunch and learn” event. But you can also get involved in Time to Talk Day by simply texting or calling a friend. The main thing is to make space for a conversation about mental health.
How to start a conversation this Time to Talk Day
The site also includes some key advice for starting a conversation about mental health and wellbeing. Their tips include:
- Ask questions and listen– asking questions can give the person opportunity and encouragement to express how they’re feeling and can help you to understand their experiences better. Focus on asking open, non-judgmental questions, such as ‘what does that feel like?’
- Use positive body language and encourage them– let them know you are paying attention to them and actively listening.
- Don’t try and fix it– Talking can be a powerful tool to help someone who is experiencing poor mental wellbeing. They may not want advice and instead just want someone to listen. Recovery can be a complex and lengthy process and they may have already considered and adopted a number of strategies, so try to resist offering a quick fix ‘solution.’
- Dispel any myths and avoid clichés– Mental health problems are more common than people think and can affect anyone at any time. Avoid unhelpful or dismissive comments, such as ‘you’re just having a bad day.’
- Be patient– Although its important to try, they may simply not be ready to talk about what they’re going through, and that’s ok. They will know that they can come to you when they are ready to talk.
There is also advice for people who may want to share own feelings or worries.
The website explains:
“Time to Talk Day is all about us being open to the idea of talking. We all have mental health and by having conversations about it, we can help ourselves and others. It’s not about encouraging people to talk about a mental health problem if they don’t want to.
“Runing an event in your community, sharing articles or videos, hosting a lunch and learn session at work, or asking others how they’re doing are simple ways to start conversations and show the people in your life you’re prepared to talk and listen without judgment.
“While there’s no right or wrong way to talk about mental health, our talking tips can help you have those all-important conversations.”
While having conversations about mental health is a great thing, sometimes they can bring up sensitive and difficult subjects and feelings, and you may need to seek support. Mind offers advice about seeking help while Rethink Mental Illness can help you find support in your area.
Mental health support and training
Mental health learning and development solutions can also play a significant role in helping people to recognise risk factors and proactively support positive mental wellbeing across the UK.
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care and more.
An accredited Mindful Employer themselves, FRT’s specialist mental health training courses include Understanding Mental Health, Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace, Managing Stress, Anxiety and Phobias Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.
They can also provide qualified, approved trainers to deliver accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training courses.
A trainer from FRT says:
“People have often avoided talking openly about their mental wellbeing, and any struggles they may be experiencing. How often do we tell people we’re ‘fine’ when it’s not really the full story, because we’re not sure if they want to know how we’re really feeling?
“This is why starting an open and honest conversation about mental health can be so powerful; people need to know that someone cares and that they are free to talk about their experiences and worries.
“Talking can really be that first all-important step to getting much-needed help and support, and training can give people the confidence and knowledge to start those conversations, and keep them going.”
Resources to support mental health and wellbeing
A brief summary of our mental health training can now be downloaded as an infographic.
We also have a number of other free infographics available to download which provide simple tips for helping to manage your mental and emotional wellbeing and proactively manage your stress levels. These include:
- Managing Stress at Work
- Manage Your Stress at Work
- Manage Your Stress
- Support Your Mental Health
- Connect With Nature
- Work Well From Home
- Anxiety Factsheet
- Manage Your Anxiety
- Managing Panic Attacks
You can also download our free Guide to Mental Health Training from our website.
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.
Further support for mental health concerns: