Let’s first begin with talking about curiosity. Would you consider yourself a curious person? Do you want to be more curious? Well, if you’re here, it’s because you seem to be interested in building meaningful relationships. You don’t want to have another conversation about work, or sports, or the weather. You are not interested in engaging in surface level relationships that actually make you feel more isolated anymore. You want to have meaningful conversations with someone, and you want others to have meaningful conversations with you. And finding that begins with curiosity. Research shows that people who are more curious experience more intimacy and feel higher levels of well-being and meaning in their lives. (Holleman, 2020).

Seasons of waiting are so hard. Especially in today’s digital age where we are used to things happening instantly. We get our questions answered in seconds by ChatGPT, Amazon offers same-day delivery, breaking news spreads in minutes all over social media. The human attention span has deteriorated so much so that even 5 minutes can feel difficult to sit and wait for something. We all know that real life doesn’t work as fast as the internet does, yet despite logically knowing this, it’s still so taxing to be in a season of waiting. These periods are confusing, challenging, and they test your patience. And who really wants their patience to be tested more than it already is everyday?

At some point or another, we will all have a friend or loved one affected by mental illness. When that happens, it can be uncomfortable or even overwhelming to know what to do or how to respond. You don’t want to be overbearing or annoying, but you want to show you care. A blanket “I’m here for you” statement doesn’t feel like enough, but you don’t know what else to say. So what can we do to better support those we love and care about who are dealing with a mental illness?