Worksheet · 10 minutes
The Empty Chair Check
A simple weekly check for noticing who has gone quiet — and a few honest words for knocking, messaging or turning up.
Goes with the story The Noticing.
The Estate · everystreethasastory.uk/reflect/the-empty-chair-check
Before you start
You don’t need to be anyone’s rescuer to do this. Jamal didn’t fix anything. He knocked. This worksheet is about noticing, and then doing one small, human thing.
Steps
- List the places you see people regularly: work, the café, the bus, the school gate, a group chat, the gym, your street.
- For each place, think: who used to be there, or used to be chatty, and has gone quiet? Write their name or a description.
- Pick one. Write down what you noticed. “Stopped doing the voices.” “Replies with one word.” “Hasn’t been in for two weeks.”
- Choose one way to reach out from the list below, or write your own.
Some words you could use:
- “Haven’t seen you in a bit. Just wanted to check you’re alright.”
- “No need to reply. Thinking of you.”
- “I’m getting a tea on Thursday. Come if you fancy it. No need to talk.”
Write
Who in my life has gone quiet lately?
What stops me reaching out, and is that reason about them or about me?
Who once reached out to me when I’d gone quiet?
Sit with this
Samuel said: “You don’t have to fix anything. You just needed somebody to turn up.” Sit with a time somebody turned up for you. Or with a time you wish they had.
The Ripple
Knock, message or turn up for one person this week. If you’re worried someone is at risk, don’t carry it alone: the support numbers at the bottom of this page are there for them and for you.
No printer?
Write here instead.
This stays on this page. Nothing is sent or saved.
Questions I Ask Myself
One story. One thought. One different direction.
Welcome, Neighbour.