2am friend
How it all started
As I went up to the bar, I received a call from a friend whose life was falling apart and he needed someone to talk to. I went outside and we spent about half an hour chatting. By the end of the conversation he was feeling much better and able to cope more with the situation he found himself in.
The next day we met for lunch and things were still bad, but he was dealing with it much better.
So I was thinking...... just imagine if he had no one to call at that very moment when everything seemed to be crashing to the ground.
We know from the statistics I’ve already mentioned in my blogs - the consequence of situations like this for Men can be very
serious and devastating.
What is a 2am friend?
A 2am friend, is that friend you are able to call at any time - 2am, 2pm, 12am, 8pm…. Anytime. A friend that will come to your aid at a moments notice.
Who is your 2am friend?
Do you have a 2am friend or friends?
The Science bit……
Did you know?
- Giving back has a physical and mental effect on your body.
- Helping others will actually make You feel great.
- People who volunteered and donated to charity, trigger the mesolimbic system - which is the ‘reward’ pathway in your brain.
- This also releases feel-good chemicals and spurs you to perform more kindly acts.
- Charitable activities lowered your stress.
- Helping others can teach you to help yourself.
- People who volunteer have been found to have higher self-esteem and overall well-being.
- People who participate in volunteer work feel more empowered than those who do not.
- People who volunteered over the last 12 months said volunteering enriches their sense of purpose.
- People who volunteered are more calm and peaceful than people who didn’t.
- Volunteering is a great way to promote a deeper sense of gratitude as we recognise more of what is already a blessing/gift/positive in our lives.
- Helping others will also spur them to 'Pay Forward" and keep the cycle of happiness going.
But I would say to you, if you really want to “Be a Man” and “Grow Some”, be that 2am friend….. for real!
What If I don't have a 2am friend?
If you don't have anyone right now you can call or trust to be your 2am friend.... that's OK and normal. Most people are in the same position.
If you don't have any close ' 2am friends
' right now, think about joining a local group, club, sports club, voluntary organisation or faith group, and start to build up new friendships. And remember,
helping others will actually make you feel better
.
Think about the friends you currently have - are right for you and do they value you? You may need to make new relationships with people who do value and care about you. This doesn't mean you have to go round dropping friendships and telling them your not their friend anymore; It just means, finding new and valued friendships.
Last of all - a 2am friend can also be the many fantastic services out there, that provide 24hr support. See below or click on these links. - The Samaritans
, CALM
and SHOUT
.
Please don't hold it in if you are struggling right now, speak to someone..... to your
2am friend or your
GP, the
NHS
or one of the
services
above.
If you want to learn how to be a 2am friend, why not train as a
Mental Health First Aider or become more
aware about mental ill-health .
please click
HERE
for more details.
Thank you for reading
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article or drop us a line.
Look after yourself.

