It’s National Conversation Week here in the UK and at YMCA DownsLink Group we’re encouraging the young people we support and staff alike to engage in conversation, who knows what they’ll discover. The founders of National Conversation Week say:
“Whether it’s questions about our health, our finances, politics, or any other subject, we think people should ask more questions – and most importantly, we should tackle the widespread fear around asking what they deem to be ‘silly questions’”.
Talking, particularly around how you’re feeling, can help with your mental health and dealing with times when you feel troubled, which is one of the reasons why we offer a Chaplaincy service. The Chaplains work in teams and spend time with the residents in their projects, cooking with them, chatting, playing board games, and generally just being a listening ear when they need it..
National Conversation Week is all about the simple, pleasurable, and rewarding art of simply talking to each other. So, if you’re ready to start the conversation, here are five ways you could get involved:
- Ask the next person you speak to today to share something that’s made them smile today, we’re sure it’ll brighten up your day.
- Post on social media asking an engaging question to your followers, you might be surprised by the answer.
- Change a Zoom meeting to be face to face (Covid permitting, in line with current government guidance).
- Have an evening free from TV and see if it generates more conversation with the people you live with or if you live on your own phone someone.
- Finally, stop reading this article and phone or facetime a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while. Why not ask what they’ve been up to since you last spoke?
We hope this article sparks some conversations in your life, YMCA DownsLink Group supports talking and believe it’s key to improving our mental health, particularly in a time where a lot of our lives are online.
Do you have any conversation starters? Contact us and let us know or join in the conversation on social media @ymcadlg.
