R U OK Day, it is an interesting concept. A day promoted to ask the people in your life are they ok?
I have mixed feelings about this day.
On one hand it raises awareness of mental illness and of people who may be down in the dumps. I think this is a fantastic cause. Any motion that promotes you to look out for the welfare of others I am all for.
It is a fantastic reminder of what we should be doing on a daily basis not just on a day where it is promoted.
It is a much more complicated situation than just straight out asking someone R U Ok and R U Ok go into some fantastic tips on their website about how to ask someone if they are ok
I worry about the disturbing rise of mental health across the world and I have seen children as young as 7 on medical cocktails to address all kinds of issues including depression. So many medical professionals these days are trying to treat the symptoms and it just ends up making everything worse.
My personal view on how it is treated isn’t important. The important thing to acknowledge is there is a rising number and people need help. Ironically I am sitting here watching ‘The Social Network’ the thing that is supposed to connect a world. However in a world we are becoming more and more connected through technology we are losing that face to face contact that human touch.
We all need to do a better job of looking out for each other. Stay true to your word and be reliable.
Celebrities are jumping on the cause as well to raise awareness.
How is it to make someone smile? It is so easy, the smallest things in life can often mean the most. Just a smile hello or an out of the blue action. It is something we can all do to have a huge impact on the world around us. We need to start making more of an effort, start to think of other people other than ourselves and to make a difference in other people’s lives in one way or another.
What you should take from this post:
1. Read the content on https://ruok.org.au/how-to-ask
2. Be more aware of the people around you and if you feel they’re not ok, ask them R U Ok at an appropriate time and in appropriate way
3. Bring some joy into others’ lives
4. Make a difference
I totally agree! And I really love this blog you wrote today!! I have lost two friends due to mental illness and it is very heart breaking! Thank you for sharing jimmy 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Courtney. I am also sorry to hear about your loss as well. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to reduce mental illness.