In the times we live in now, with so many things dividing us, it’s become almost a rare thing that you see people being kind to each other. One of the things that has struck me is the fact that people go through so many things under the surface that we don’t see. How do my actions affect them and how they perceive the world?

Recently, Cleveland Cavaliers player Kevin Love came out and wrote about his personal struggles with his mental health and how he slowly came to acknowledge them and address what needed to be done instead of keeping it all buried inside. He started out by saying “On November 5th, right after halftime against the Hawks, I had a panic attack. It came out of nowhere. I’d never had one before. I didn’t even know they were real. Since that day, almost everything about the way I think about my mental health has changed.”

This shouldn't be the case. Whether you personally have struggled with your mental health or not, the first time it is being acknowledged shouldn’t be when you’re right in the middle of having a panic attack.

Unfortunately, this is too often the case. It’s important that someone like Love, an athlete who many look up to, has come forward and shared his story. It opens up doors for so many people who may not have felt comfortable speaking about it before.

It’s hard to speak about the struggles that affect you personally because it feels like nobody else is going through what you feel inside. So many people are silently suffering and having people out there who come forward with their own stories, can make that feeling of loneliness on their shoulders become a little lighter.

Of course, talking and coming forward is not in any way easy or even meant for everyone, but having an open environment for it can be so important.

This is why I think simply being kind is essential.

By no means am I saying that being kind is the answer but it’s a start. Whether you need someone to talk to or someone to just listen, knowing and having someone to go to who radiates that type of character can make a move towards change.

Change in the ways mental health is thought about. Change in the ways mental health is talked about. A change for mental health.

Everybody around you is battling their own struggles whether you can see them or not.

Small actions can go a long way.

Be kind.