Well it’s been quite a week, hasn’t it?
You’ve probably noticed, we’re learning new language every day.
We’ve heard terms like ‘self-isolation’, ‘social distancing’, ‘herd immunity’ and ‘sunset clauses’. We’re being told we’re “on a trajectory”, which Russell Brand said (for him) went from “I don’t believe this is happening”, to “how can I use this as an excuse to get out of something I don’t want to do”, to “maybe I should take this a bit more seriously”.
For the first few days, my sitting room was like an incident suite, with 24 hour news cycles, in an effort to stay up to date (because of the work I do) in such a rapidly changing scenario. Then one night, I switched it off, turned on a music channel, and Rick Astley was the first song that played. (I should have known he would be, because he’ll never give you up, let you down, run around or desert you).
Quite honestly it’s no surprise if we’re all feeling a little overwhelmed. Certainly, if you’re feeling the impact of self-isolation you’re not alone. (There’s a free Working from Home Toolkit from Mental Health First Aid (England) here).
And definitely, if you’re butting heads with people who aren’t helping the conversation whether it’s your employer or mortgage company, it might help if we have a think about how we approach the dialogue.
This week, maybe set the intention to Find Your Language. What’s happening in the world right now doesn’t give people permission to be unkind to you, and it certainly doesn’t give them the right to put you down. When others are speaking in jargon or lingo, or they’re talking at us not with us, perhaps have a think about how you can say it your way. It’s ok to let people know when they’ve been unreasonable, and you can do it in a way that feels right for you. It might be saying no to unfair demands, raising awareness of groups that are being overlooked, or connecting online with people who speak your language. Remember, ‘no’ is a complete sentence and you don’t have to justify it.
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Copyright Delphi Ellis 2020