NAPIT is supporting World Mental Health Day (10 October) by calling on people across the trades to help create a space where everyone can speak openly and feel heard
This year’s theme is ‘Support Starts with Being Heard’, and the certification body and training provider says a colleague who checks in and listens without judgement can make it easier to talk, while friends and family can remind someone outside of work that they do not have to face difficulties alone.
The organisation highlights the pressures many tradespeople face, including demanding workloads, time away from home, financial concerns, changing work patterns and the responsibility of keeping others safe. It adds that mental health should be a priority whether someone is employed, self-employed or running a business.
NAPIT is encouraging businesses, teams and individuals to build simple habits that make supportive conversations part of the working day. To help, it shared guidance from Mental Health UK on making these conversations feel safer and more supportive:
Choose the right time and place: Give the person your full attention somewhere they feel comfortable and free from distractions.
Listen to understand: Let them share as much or as little as they want without judgement, and show you are listening by reflecting back what they have said.
Ask open questions: Give them space to explore their thoughts and feelings, and avoid rushing in with lots of questions or solutions.
Validate their experience: Avoid assumptions or comparisons. You don’t need to have the answers, as simply acknowledging how someone feels can help them feel understood.
Show empathy: Focus on their perspective rather than trying to make things better straight away, as sometimes feeling listened to is more powerful than advice.
Help them find their own next steps: Listen first, then encourage them to consider what might help, for example by asking, “What do you think would help right now?”
Stephen Melton, Managing Director at NAPIT, says: “NAPIT is proud to support World Mental Health Day. A conversation at work, with a colleague, or with friends and family can help someone feel less isolated and more able to seek support.
“Speaking up can feel difficult but being there to listen and make someone feel heard can help break down stigma.”
For more from NAPIT, click here.
