With life being very uncertain for many people we understand that having hope can be difficult. Today, on #WorldMentalHealthDay, we want to remind YOU, our members, that you are not alone! We are not individual Scouts trying to navigate our world, we are a Scouting family and are here to support each other.

Reach out for help …

• You are a child or teen: It’s totally normal for a child or teenager to feel overwhelmed, sad, angry or moody at times. Dealing with school or family pressure, having problems with a friend, or trying to make sense of your own feelings and thoughts can bring on lots of emotions. If this is how you feel and you are not sure how to deal with your feelings and need help, talk to an adult you trust or you can pick up the phone and call NPOwer’s free helpline on 0800 515 515.
• You are an adult: It’s also normal for adults to feel angry, overwhelmed or desperate while trying to juggle life’s challenges. But when those feelings stay with you for weeks and affect your ability to function normally, it might be depression. If you are struggling, please reach out to an adult you trust or even one of our Listen Ears at an event. If you would rather talk to somebody over the phone, remember that NPOwer is a free helpline offered to NPO’s and their volunteers. The free helpline is specifically there to help people in South Africa who are struggling with their mental health. Here’s the number: 0800 515 515.

How can you help?

If you are approached by a Scouting member who is reaching out for help, please remember that most of us are not professional mental health professionals so we can only make sure to create safe spaces for our Scouting friends to talk to us. Simply just giving someone space to talk, and listening to how they’re feeling, can be really helpful in itself. Other times, they might need more professional help and therefore encourage them to call NPOwer or seek other forms for professional assistance.

Here are some guidelines on how to help when people reach out:

• Listen attentively.
• Offer reassurance. Seeking help can feel lonely, and sometimes scary.  Let them know that they did the right thing by reaching out to a friend to listen.
• Stay calm and patient.
• Try not to make assumptions or judge.
• Encourage them to speak to their parents, family members, Scouters, Listening Ears, or call NPOwer for help.
• Remember to check in regularly to see if they are okay.

👉 You can find more information and tools in World Scouting’s Mental Health toolkit too if you would want to include activities in your programmes.