Focus on Talking

On Monday, I attended the premiere of a powerful new documentary created by this week’s Focus on WHY podcast guest, Brydon Duncan. The film, Breaking the Circle, was two years in the making and explores the deep connection between sport and mental wellbeing. Brydon’s aim? To challenge stigma and spark real change. The result is a hard-hitting, emotional and deeply moving piece of work.

In his podcast episode, 473 Talking Matters, one word echoes throughout: talking. Not idle chatter but real, honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations. The kind that breaks silence and creates space for healing. Today, as many people, particularly young men, struggle quietly and alone, talking becomes the tool, the turning point and the lifeline.

Brydon offers a candid and courageous glimpse into the realities of mental health battles that often go unseen. Behind every statistic are lived experiences, often hidden beneath years of silence. For Brydon, silence wasn’t just a symptom of suffering, it was the suffering. Bullied, isolated and unsure how to reach out, he discovered firsthand that talking is more than an act. It’s survival.

He reminds us that the barrier isn’t always a refusal to speak, it’s not knowing how to begin or feeling like there’s no one who will truly listen. Simply being told to ‘get help’ isn’t enough. What makes the difference is when someone creates a safe, judgment-free space to speak. In those moments, it’s not advice that matters, it’s being heard.

Talking isn’t only for those in crisis. It’s for the people around them, friends, family, colleagues. Your words, or your willingness to invite someone else’s, can change the direction of a life. Even a simple conversation can become a quiet lifeline. In Brydon’s case, knowing someone was willing to listen—without trying to fix him—was enough to begin healing.

Even his short-form videos reflect this principle. They don’t lecture, they open the door to conversation. Whether it’s a reel on social media or a coffee with a friend, the goal remains the same: to make talking about mental health normal, ongoing and accessible.

Focus on talking. Real talking. Let’s create space for deeper conversations where people feel safe to share their truth and be heard in their full humanity.

Focus on Talking. Focus on Why.

REFLECTION WITH ACTION:  Who around you might be waiting for permission to speak? You don’t need to have the answers, just be ready to listen. One honest conversation could mean more than you realise