What is Everyday Conversations?

This Father’s Day, we’re launching a campaign to encourage meaningful conversations between men and their kids, fathers, or father figures.

Partnering with Everyday Solitude, we’ve created a special edition of Everyday Conversations – The Dad’s Edition, designed to help foster deeper connections and understanding.

We caught up with Jess of Everyday Solitude for a little Q&A to find out more about origins of the conversation cards, and her initiative.

How would you explain Everyday Solitude to someone? Everyday Solitude is a mental health initiative that uses the tools of conversation and lived experience to reduce the stigma around mental distress; and forge social connections.

Where and how did the initial idea for Everyday Conversations come about? I had worked in the creative and digital communications world for around a decade alongside studying mental health; and one day I just became absolutely positive the two can live together!

How would you recommend someone introduces the cards into a social setting? In a natural way! If it feels right; offer them up at a dinner party or over coffee. It is also a fantastic lesson in reading body signals and cues, you can figure out pretty quickly if someone feels uncomfortable talking about certain things! It’s a fine line between coming up with questions that are both bold and tough and intimate and vulnerable.

How do you go about the selection process? Depending on the genre of the cards; I tend to get to know the overall goal for social connection and what objectives someone wants to bring about. EG; is this to reduce stigma? Is this for people to feel more connected to their family? Is this to realise we aren't alone in our big dreams? Once I know; I can curate the questions around light and heavier conversational topics!

What’s the goal for Everyday Solitude? To continue to reach a community of people so they feel more connected to themselves, those around them and their mental health joruney!