Welcome to the Talk Wall. Show your support, share your advice and help us build a wall of strength for the industry.
SUBMIT YOUR OWN MESSAGEThe stigma surrounding mental health in construction only exists (still) because we enable it. We’ve got to learn how to be intentional as leaders in the way we foster an environment of strength in vulnerability and service to one another.
I want to encourage anyone who’s even slightly doubting whether they need help — or whether their situation is really “that serious” — please don’t hesitate. Go to therapy, just talk about your job-related stress. Try it for a month. It’s like tooth decay: you go for a check-up so it doesn’t turn into a rotting root, or worse. Be good to yourself, and talk to an expert. You have no idea how much trouble it might save you, or what kind of suffering it can prevent. Really.
It's fantastic to see Fred and The B1M team leading on this, many compliments for your charity actions.
Suicide prevention and mental health assistance needs to be normalized on our jobsites. These issues are real every day for many workers and right now this might be the greatest hazard to our workforce that not enough people are talking about.
Sometimes, we struggle through the pressure of this great industry. We need to remind ourselves that we are all doing life for the first time. We need to give ourselves a break from being hard on ourselves.
It's surprising how little effort it takes to check in on someone when you notice they're having an off day. It's shocking how much of a difference it makes when someone really needs help.
To help my mental health I always start my day with a 15 minute walk before I get to the jobsite. Be kind to yourself.
Opening up and talking about your mental health when you're struggling isn't weak. It's one of the strongest and bravest things you can do.
An illness is an illness, no matter the type, physical or mental. No one has anything to be embarrassed about to discuss mental health, if we talk more, we may be able to help more. Take care of yourself, take care of each other, speak up and let's unmask mental health.