I recently realised that I’m an obliger. I also recently realised that this needs to change. As I tend to do when I have a dawning realisation, I researched the term to determine if my understanding is correct. There are numerous definitions with the most common suggesting that an obliger is someone who performs a …
Tag: Be kind to others
World Mental Health Day 2020 – coping with lockdown and loss
It is World Mental Health Day today (10th Oct 2020) and this year’s theme is ‘mental health for all’. Dr Ingrid Daniels, president of the World Federation for Mental Health, has said “The world is experiencing the unprecedented impact of the current global health emergency due to COVID-19. That has also impacted on the mental …
When do you truly switch off?
I’ve had a really busy week, both in work and personally. I’m used to spinning numerous plates and I’m quite comfortable with that, though, to coin one of a good friend’s favourite phrases, my head has been full of broken biscuits at times. That situation has improved now though it did make me think of …
Mortality and me – why I’ve been thinking of how much time I have left…
Well isn’t this just the cheeriest of blog titles to ease you into those final few hours of the weekend?! Don’t worry though – this post isn’t as morbid as the title suggests. It’s actually more of a call to arms, though I have been thinking over recent weeks and months about just how much …
Lockdown concerns, anxiety, my daughter’s education, and why film nights are helping
One of my main concerns during lockdown has been my daughter’s education. During the latter stages of the previous school year, when all students were home-learning, the amount and quality of learning she experienced wasn’t as in-depth and thorough as it would have been had she been in school. This is absolutely not a slur …
Do you listen to talk or listen to listen?
Something I’ve noticed more and more over recent years is that most people listen to talk rather than listen to listen. Confused? Let me try to explain. In any conversation, it’s vitally important to give the other person our undivided attention. To be genuinely interested in what they are saying and take in every word. …
Everyday anxieties – is it just me or do most people have them?
Everyday anxieties – is it just me or do most people have these? To clarify, I’m not talking the level of anxiousness which (thankfully) only happens every so often and forces me into cold sweats and an irrational panic. I’m talking about the peculiar little everyday occurrences which shouldn’t cause concern and prey on my …
Cathy’s story and why you should define how your life will be, rather than letting life define you
As referenced in last week’s post (which you can find here), a stand-alone post to tell the story of Cathy, a lady who I met during our recent break in Wales. To recap the back story, the house we rented came with a beach hut. This was an absolute godsend and proved to be ridiculously …
It’s the simple things that really matter – why a week away made me feel alive again
I’ve written about this in previous blog posts but the past week has absolutely reminded me that it is the simple things in life that really matter. I spent last week in a stunning part of Wales (Nefyn, on the Llyn Peninsula) with my wife, daughter, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. Nefyn is a small …
Don’t forget just how important the mental health of our children is
A vitally important subject which was really emphasised to me by an e-mail I received earlier this week (more of that later). The mental health of our children is vitally important and whilst we’re all clearly aware of this, it can be easy to forget it during day-to-day life. I’ll refer to our children as …