Are you ok? – the importance of staying connected

Thursday 4 February is national Time to Talk Day. A chance to start a conversation about mental health and wellbeing.

The focus this year is on the power of small, because however you have a conversation about mental health – whether it’s a quick text to a friend, a virtual coffee morning with colleagues, asking a loved one if they’re ok – has the power to make a big difference.

Looking forward to face-to-face natters

Time to Talk Day aims to get the nation talking about mental health and at times like this open conversations about mental health are more important than ever. See the Time to Change website for advice and support and information on how to get involved.

Connecting with people and just having a chat can really help our mental health. So why not use those conversations to capture and share memories and stories?

We’ve blogged about the History Begins at Home campaign before so here’s a reminder of how it’s a great way to get a conversation started.

The idea behind the campaign is to encourage family members of different generations to connect or re-connect by discovering previously unknown facts or family stories, sharing memories, experiences and expertise, and then capturing these conversations and findings for the future.

At the launch of the campaign back in May, Gary Tuson, County Archivist at Norfolk Record Office and Campaign Lead at History Begins at Home, commented: “COVID-19 has created all sorts of challenges such as separation, isolation, hardship, the need for resilience, the power of community and the desire to help one another. History Begins at Home is the perfect antidote during this period when people can’t visit their family members due to the current restrictions. It’s a fun way to pass some time together on the phone, via FaceTime, Zoom, WhatsApp or other apps. And, with so much emphasis on mental health and well-being during the lockdown, the campaign is an ideal way for people to engage with the recommended ‘5 ways to well-being’: Connect, Give, Be active, Take Notice and Keep Learning.” 

As we all live through another lockdown, this message is just as relevant and still so important.

Getting involved in History Begins at Home is easy – start off by asking a relative for one of their old recipes and share it, find and share a picture of a family member’s favourite childhood toy, an old love letter (or a new one), or ask them about a funny, incredible, interesting, remarkable or obscure story or memory from their past. Who knows what you might discover.

The record office is supporting the History Begins at Home project via Twitter, and you can follow us at @FranklinArchive to see all our posts. Now, more than ever, it’s so important to stay connected and look after your mental health.