Sometimes the Most Important Thing We Can Do Is Ask
Life gets busy.
Between work, family, relationships, finances, health and the everyday pressures of simply keeping life moving, it can be easy to miss when someone around us isn’t quite themselves.
R U OK?Day – Thursday 10 September is a reminder to notice — and to ask. But its message is one that matters every day of the year because someone who is struggling won’t always tell us.
They may become quieter or more withdrawn. They might seem unusually irritable, overwhelmed or distracted. Their behaviour may change, or perhaps there’s nothing obvious at all — you simply have a feeling that something isn’t right.
You don’t need to be a mental health professional to check in. And you don’t need to have the answers.
Sometimes it begins with three very simple words: “Are you OK?”
The R U OK? approach encourages four steps:
Ask R U OK? → Listen → Encourage action → Check in.
Listening is particularly important. We can be very quick to try to solve someone’s problem when what they may need first is simply a safe person who will listen without judgement.
If they’re struggling, encourage them to seek appropriate support. And don’t forget the final step: check in again. A message or conversation a few days later tells someone that your concern wasn’t just a passing question.
Looking Out for Each Other at The Age Less Clinic
Healthcare is about looking after people — and we believe that should include the people providing the care too.
At The Age Less Clinic & General Practice, staying connected as a team is an important part of our workplace culture. Sometimes supporting mental wellbeing isn’t about formal programs or grand gestures. It’s simply about creating an environment where people know each other well enough to notice when something isn’t quite right.
We make time to connect in little ways throughout the week. Tasty Treat Thursday is our regular team lunch, giving us a chance to step away from our desks and share some local food and catch up together. You’ll often find snacks brought in to share, and birthdays are always acknowledged with a morning tea when the birthday person is working.
And then there are the completely unplanned moments. It’s not unusual for someone to stop by the Practice Manager’s room for a chat, a laugh, to share what’s happened in their day — or sometimes simply to have a moment when they need one.
Most importantly, we look out for each other. When someone doesn’t seem quite themselves, we check in and we make the time to listen. These things might seem small, but that’s really the point.
Mental wellbeing in the workplace isn’t something that happens once a year on R U OK?Day. It’s built through everyday connection, conversation and knowing that the people around you care enough to notice.
Sometimes looking after each other really can start with something as simple as a cup of coffee, a shared lunch and the question, “Are you OK?”
