Seizing the Awkward with Coronavirus

Seize the Awkward is a website that wants visitors to do just that: starting and having those awkward conversations about mental health and illnesses. Huge factors such as stigma and the fear of saying the wrong thing can make it, well, awkward, to open up about what you’re going through or to check in on someone that you’re concerned about, but these conversations are necessary and could be life-saving.

And while the coronavirus pandemic is a public health crisis, it also comes with a much needed and scary conversation about how it is affecting us all mentally – especially Gen Z and youths. 

Seize the Awkward has created a page on their site dedicated to providing tips about coping with mental health issues specifically related to the coronavirus. If you’ve visited the site before, the layout is pretty similar to their usual tips, but this page features suggestions on how to connect with others virtually to get an escape, such as taking a virtual museum tour or watching livestreams. They even provide gifs and stickers you can use on posts to let people know that they can reach out to you if they need someone to talk to (and if you need help with how to have those conversations, the website has got you covered).

We hope this helps in some way, whether you’re trying to find something to do with friends virtually or you want advice on how to be a place of support for others.

Have you ever had what felt like an awkward conversation about mental health? Looking back, why do you think it was awkward? What advice do you have about having mental health conversations?