Be kind

Please.

Treat others how you would expect to be treated yourself; isn't that what your mum said when you were growing up? Thumper reminds us in Bambi "If you can't say anythin' nice, don't say nothin' at all" Wise words, my furry friend. The sad and premature death of Caroline Flack over the weekend serves us all with a reminder that we are all vulnerable, that we all have our own insecurities and that we are all capable of making mistakes. We are only human.

No matter how hard your work is, how many hours you put in or how physically or mentally demand your role is, you will still be coming in to contact with people. You have the ability to make that person smile inside for the rest of the day, through an act of honesty, kindness or generosity. You also have the ability to send that person spiralling down into purgatory, your words sentencing them to self punishment and unrelenting anguish.

Sadly, people with mental health issues do not wear badges, lanyards or tabards to proclaim their condition in case they get singled out and discriminated against because of their condition. Moreover, many people do not realise they are having mental health issues before they are knee deep in a crisis.

If nothing else, just for one day promise yourself you will try and make a difference. Think hard about your speech, intonation and word choice, your body language and your tone of voice. Remember that anyone you speak to today might be having a bad day, or be in the middle of a mental health crisis. You just won't know, as people with mental health issues can still smile and laugh along with the outside world.

Be kind.

Please.