How are you? I mean, really.

In September of last year, we had the opportunity to make a short film for our client, Brambles. The film focused on a man struggling with his mental health, but managing to mask it from his employers, highlighting the need for mental health awareness, particularly in business.

As we can see in the film, anybody can struggle with their mental health, even if they are trying their best to hide it.

This week is all about Mental Health Awareness.

If you are or have been working today and you’ve spoken to one or more of your colleagues, did you ask them how they were? If you did, that’s good to hear. But now let me ask you this: did you really want to know?

We know that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem every year, and that these figures are rising. The NHS reports that some 3.8 million people contacted their mental health services in 2023/24, which shows that people are no longer ignoring their problems, but it’s also known that not everyone is ready to talk.

Gen Z are much more open to talking about struggles with mental health than previous generations, which is progress. But what about the Millennials? Gen X? Or even those Boomers who were raised to keep these things hidden and put on a brave face?

It’s likely that at least one person you’ve spoken to recently, while outwardly seeming fine, is struggling. Maybe they don’t feel comfortable saying it out loud. Maybe they haven’t wanted to address why things don’t feel right. Or maybe, just maybe, they haven’t said anything because nobody has asked.

Sometimes, we are all too polite for our collective good. We see someone crying on the train, but it’s not our place to ask if they’re ok. We see that person on the street looking scared or confused, and it’s easier to ignore them than approach and ask if they need help.

And often, we see something in someone we know, someone we work with every day, and we know they’re not ok, but we don’t think it’s our business to ask. But maybe, just maybe, it should be.

The world is a scary place right now, and it’s been a pretty tumultuous few years for most of us with Covid, war, cost of living and all those other things that impact everyday life. Break-ups, grief, redundancy, family issues… so many things can have an impact, and for some individuals, this can affect mental health.

Some of us may want to appear strong and in control. Some of us may not want anyone to see us struggling. And some of us may not even appreciate being asked if we’re ok. But some of us do. And for those people, asking how they are and really wanting to know, well, it could be just what they have been waiting for.

So, how are you? I mean, really.