Annually in May, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) runs a campaign to promote awareness and positive messaging around mental health. This year, CMHA’s Mental Health Week is from 2 to 8 May with the focus on #GetReal about how to help.
The theme is to promote everyone to be better equipped and able to help someone in need by focusing our efforts on our ability to listen and to use empathy.
Empathy is a communication skill that allows us to both connect with those we our communicating with and also connect with our own emotions. Empathy is not about sharing your thoughts, judgments, or ideas. It is not about solving problems or having the perfect thing to say. It is about truly being able to listen and try to understand the emotions being felt by the other person.
For some, empathy a skill that comes naturally, but for others it is not a skill that is easily mastered. It is also a skill that can be developed and improved. For some tips on improving your empathetic listening skills, check out the articles and information available in the campaign information on the Canadian Mental Health Association website.
For more information and local resources, please log onto our website on CAF Connection. By: Nathaniel Smith, Health Promotion Specialist at CFB Borden
