Wherever I look these days I see significant struggles with mental health.

Now it could be personal bias. For instance after we bought a Honda Civic I started seeing Honda Civics all over the place. It could simply be that I am seeing what I have focused on consciously or subconsciously.

Nevertheless since I am looking I am seeing.

Certain factors no doubt contribute to the challenges we all face. We are increasingly told the world is falling apart politically and environmentally and that it’s our fault. Conflict in Europe and the Middle East continues to grow. Prices continue to increase and salaries are not keeping up. Autumn has arrived and with it increasing darkness and cold weather.

These are simply the universal factors which affect everyone to one degree or another. Add to these our own personal challenges and things really ramp up.

When I see people in pain I want to help. This is not always the best response because I want to help people I don’t even know that well. Helping people makes me feel better about myself. Certainly compassion and empathy plays a role but I need to be aware of my potential to use other people’s pain as a way to reduce my own because that can create serious problems for myself and the other.

But back to the point…when I look into the world both near (the people I know and are in my orbit) and far (the world in general) things appear darker than they have in the past. People’s struggles seem greater and there seems to be more people struggling than usual.

So how do I help? I legitimately want to help because it connects me to the world in a way. As a person who works from home and spends 98 percent of their time in my house away from others I need to connect more. To complicate matters I am something of an ambivert (sometimes extravert, sometimes introvert).

I have always believed the best thing a person can do is listen. I like to be listened to. I have seen therapists and psychiatrists and to be genuinely heard is therapeutic.

I think I need to get coffee/beer with more people. I need to get out more for my own sake. If getting out and genuinely connecting with others helps them too so much the better. Feel like coffee or a beer? Just ask.