What is Brew Monday?
Updated: Mar 20
So today is #brewmonday. It has always traditionally fallen on the 3rd Monday of January and used to be called Blue Monday, the ‘saddest day of the year’ due to the timing of it. However, as well all know, sadness is a feeling that can be felt at any time of the year and so the name and the focus has recently changed.
Brew Monday is a timely reminder to make the effort to reach out to just one person today and check in with them, give them a call, send a text or put the kettle on and invite them round for a brew.
What’s the point?
The fact is that most people, if they are struggling, are still reluctant to reach out and ask for help, or even just for a chat and you making that first move can sometimes be the catalyst to helping someone through a difficult day.
Reaching Out
I was recently listening to an episode of Fearne Cotton’s podcast Happy Place with Roman Kemp, who I’ve got a lot of time for - his documentary Our Silent Emergency I found particularly insightful. In the podcast Fearne and Roman discuss the importance of reaching out but what I found particularly interesting is that Roman said he particularly makes a point of contacting people he thinks least need it because from his experience those are the people who actually need it the most. The people who look and sound like they’ve got it all together and those who tell us all the right things are often the best at hiding their true feelings. If you haven’t listened to the podcast or watched the documentary, I can highly recommend it, as it does change your perception on how to be more aware of others in difficulty and who might be most vulnerable.
How to find out More
Check out the Samaritans website for more information on how to be a good listener and why not put a little note in your diary to get in touch with someone not just today but how about every Monday?