Since Covid first hit the scene so much has changed in our everyday lives and not for the better I might add. Here are but a few of our changes:-
- Working from home
- No access to Dr’s
- NHS Strikes
- No NHS Dentists
- Gas and Electric skyrocketing
- Mortgage increases up and up
- Shortage of rental properties
It is only now that society is beginning to see the effect this is having in our society. Our children, our future leaders have become more introvert and live their lives out online. Signs of declining mental health issues being missed.
Drugs are on the increase despite the never-ending message in schools to leave well alone. If they aren’t taking them they are dealing them to get the extra money to survive. Poor families that are left with little choices. This should never be.
Where is it all going wrong?
Communication is where it all starts. Mobiles are great tools but should never become more important than the people standing in front of you.
I myself have this debate every day with my teenagers who say I need to ‘get with it’ as this is how everyone communicates now. NO, I don’t want to ‘get with it’. I prefer to speak to people face to face and see their reactions to the conversation I am having with them. Not just read text messages. I want to be able to put my arm around someone who seems at their wits end with all the pressure. My teenagers prefer to text me from another room rather than simply come to the room I am in to ask me a question. Is this right? I can tell you I get more information from them in text messages than when they are standing in front of me.
I watch parents walking along with their mobiles in their hands and their children just staring off into space. Then when the grizzle to get attention they get moaned at for playing up. How else are they meant to get the attention they need?
More and more children are diagnosed as being on the spectrum. Is this something that has always been there undetected or is it how we now interact with our children? I am not judging just merely observing our society. But once diagnosed there is no help as the Mental Health team are stretched to breaking point.
Shouldn’t we be making at least an hour a week about communicating as a family all together? How many of you sit down to a table to eat all together anymore? I am happy to say in my family we still do. Not every night due to outside activities such as football but at weekends always. It is our family rule that no mobiles come to the table whilst we eat and chat together. So many people tell me how polite and well-mannered my children are. This is because they are TAUGHT by their elders. Not googled, not ignored, TAUGHT.
So, whilst it might seem that being online keeps your child entertained, which it does for a short while, it also takes away their interaction as people with people.
This leads me now to the workplace: –
Are we as team members at work observing and helping our team? Whilst on Zoom, are we taking time to listen and look properly at the person we are speaking to? Do we note how they might be feeling? Are we watching their body language? Whilst that person is smiling at you online, do they immediately leave the meeting and put their head in their hands with worries they have to keep to themselves. Do we miss this by being online?
I have written this blog for you to think about how you interact in your family and co-workers and what changes can you make to ensure your families and co-workers mental health is a healthy one? I leave you to consider.
Why is this written for your business page I hear you say. Simple, we want you to know that at Admin No.1 we are always listening. You’re not just a number, we get to know our clients and give advice and help in any way we can. At Admin No.1 we care. Sharing is caring as they say.
The team at Admin No.1 was carefully chosen by the Director Claire for their people skills. This also ensures that the team is cared for too.
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Having just written this blog I then did my social media post to discover a contact had shared it was in fact ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day’ and I had just written this blog and put a very supportive comment on linkedin without actually knowing. Random hey but shows what we write is how we live.
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Leo Buscaglia
The world is in our hands.
