Last month, to prepare for Time to Talk Day, we asked for your thoughts on the biggest barriers to talking about mental health, what helps people open up, and what makes a good listener.

For more ideas and free resources, don’t forget to visit the Time to Talk Day website.

Here’s what you told us:

Biggest Barriers

Concerns about being judged or seen differently

Many people worry that opening up will change how others see them. There’s a fear of being seen as weak or incapable – especially when mental health is still misunderstood in many spaces.

💬 “That it will change how someone thinks about you – they will think worse of you, like ‘wow, you’re not as strong/confident/together as I thought.'”

Possibility of being labelled or not taken seriously

Concerns about being labelled or having personal struggles dismissed, stop people from speaking openly. Some worry about who will find out or whether their experiences will be taken seriously.

💬 “Worry about how others will respond, and about not being understood or being labelled.”

💬 “Confidentiality, embarrassment, stigma of not being able to cope.”

What Helps

Feeling safe and understood

People feel more comfortable sharing when they know they won’t be judged. Relatability matters – knowing that someone has been through something similar or genuinely understands mental health can make a big difference.

💬 “Knowing that it won’t affect how someone thinks about you. Or knowing that they have experienced a similar thing. Or knowing that they won’t be judgmental.”

💬 “Group activity, hearing others share their experience to increase confidence and comfort in sharing theirs.”

Having regular check-ins

It can be easier to talk about emotions when there’s a consistent space for it, rather than waiting until feelings become overwhelming. Creating informal opportunities to check in – whether in a group or one-on-one – helps normalise these conversations.

💬 “A regular, informal space to check in about feelings before they build.”

Advice on being a good listener

Listen without fixing

Many people told us that they don’t always want solutions – they just want to be heard. Rushing to offer advice, looking for a silver lining, or trying to ‘fix’ the situation can sometimes do more harm than good.

💬 “Give your full attention and withhold judgment. Not to give advice unless it is asked for specifically – do they want a shoulder (to cry on) rather than a hand?”

💬 “Don’t try to minimise it or turn it into a positive or give things a silver lining. This signals that you’re uncomfortable and don’t want to delve deeper into the extent of the problem or any darker thoughts or feelings.

Give space to talk

A big part of feeling safe to open up is knowing that the other person is really listening. That means offering full attention, not interrupting, and allowing thoughts to come out naturally – even if they don’t make perfect sense.

💬 “Make sure you give the other person your complete and full attention so they feel listened to, valued, and safe. Proper active listening.”

Keep the conversation going

Talking about mental health isn’t always easy, but the more we do it, the more we break down barriers. If you’d like to share your thoughts, our survey is still open – we’d love to hear from you! We may share more insights on social media to keep the conversation going.

If you’re looking for ways to support yourself or others, here are some useful resources:

For more ideas and free resources, visit the Time to Talk Day website.

And if you’re marking the day with an event, we’d love to hear about it! Tag @MindWellLeeds on social media or drop us a message.

Let’s keep talking. 💬