Ask R U OK? Any Day.

R U OK? Day is day we mark in our calendars on the second Thursday of September. It is a reminder to us to empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people around us. This year’s theme is Ask R U OK? Any Day. It is a reminder that these conversations don’t need a special day, nor a prompt. We should adopt a philosophy of genuine care every day.

Simply making a connection with someone, having a conversation, lending an ear and showing compassion can truly be life-changing.

In Australia, burnout and mental health challenges are increasingly common in the workplace, with nearly half of all Australians experiencing mental illness at some point in their lives. When things become overwhelming, people are likely to experience stress, burnout, and disengagement. Often they try to carry on as normal at work, but this can often compound any feelings of despair as they try to keep all the balls in the air and maintain a get on with it attitude at work. Creating a culture of care, where work colleagues show empathy makes people feel safe to speak up, and seek support, so they can get through it, rather than get on with it.

We encourage everyone to start a conversation with others in their workplace, and raise awareness of mental health. At INDEX, we recently held a lunch event, where we took time out of our work day and shares stories, asked questions and opened up about things that matter to us… ok there was probably a little talk about bad reality tv in there as well, but even these chats, in an open, supportive (non-judgemental) space can bring us closer and invite more meaningful insights into each other’s lives.

We believe we can all create a supportive workplace culture where people feel confident asking and answering this simple yet important question – Are you ok? This small gesture can open up an opportunity to help someone in ways that may have a huge impact.
Even if deep conversation is not something you usually engage in with your colleagues, there are some simple steps that you can follow to help it feel less surface level, and show genuine care.

1. 1. 1. Ask R U OK?
      2. Listen
      3. Encourage action
      4. Check in

So, if you have some time, check in with friends, family and loved ones, you don’t need to be an expert to reach out – just a good friend and a great listener!
And, if you can make it a habit, we’ll all be on our way to feeling better every day.