For this week’s blog, we sat down with our CEO and Founder, who is an R U OK Ambassador. R U OK day is all about sparking conversations and connecting and supporting each other.
At Happiness Co, our mission is to impact and inspire as many people as possible, with tools and strategies for happiness. Given our Founder is an R U OK Ambassador, we thought we would get some insight from his perspective on the meaning behind R U OK.
What does it mean to you to be an R U OK Ambassador?
It’s amazing to be able to support such an incredible campaign to check in on your loved ones. I am honoured to be an ambassador and part of the conversations that could change and save lives.
‘Are you ok’ are three powerful words – describe how you feel when someone asks you this? What are some other ways to ask?
Firstly, I think it’s nice that people take the time to check in as it makes me feel cared for, loved and valued. It’s also a great reminder to check in with people that I care about.
Some other ways to start the conversation:
- How are you doing mate?
- Is everything ok with you today?
- You seem a little off, anything I can do to help?
- If you ever need anything, I’m here to help
- Share with someone about your own struggles as it may be a good segue for them to open up
How do you know when to check in and make sure someone is doing alright?
- Change of behaviour
- Their energy shifts
- Body language changes
At the end of the day, the most important cue is your instinct. Trust your gut, your instinct is usually right, especially if you have a feeling something is off or a person is acting out of character.
What are some strategies you implement to move past bad days or struggles?
- Perspective and gratitude. Perspective gives you insight that it can be much worse, whereas gratitude allows you to see the positives. If you apply both of these, you can take on the struggle or situation with less emotional charge.
- Look at it logically. When you apply the above strategies, you are then able to look at the bigger picture and deal with the situation in a logical way.
- Talk to someone about how you feel. Unpack the emotions with someone you care about and who can listen without judging.
To wrap up, I would like to leave you with the following. It’s ok not to be ok – vulnerability is your truest strength.
For anyone who is scared to ask, be brave enough to ask the question. For anyone scared to speak up, know that it is ok.
Happiness Co runs a range of workshops tailored to R U OK during the whole week. Feel free to reach out to robbie@happinessco.org