Then around the time of Covid studies rolled out mentioning the strain on health care workers, hospital staff, and those in medical care who were also experiencing an extreme strain on their mental health and well-being. Veterinarians too, became talked about, with many practices being a solo enterprise or a small business, leading to a new trend of overload coupled with isolation, again, a challenging combination made worse by a shrinking number of providers.
We read articles about all these things and how people were struggling; we talked about it, formed organizations devoted to dealing with the rehabilitating effects of constantly difficult situations, exhaustion, fruatration at a broken system, and feelings of hopelessness. The toxic levels of stress on the human body and spirit may continue to rise, but the need for a new culture of empathy and kindness is greater than ever before.
THINK before you say something that is hurtful, judgemental, or which tears down or harshly judges another human being, because while the problem is not words said online, the constant assault of such negative feedback IS exhausting.
PAUSE before blurting out the first thing that comes to mind - practice having that filter our society used to operate with, in a world pre-social media, the invisible force which kept us from saying everything we think and then some.
CARE more about your fellow human. I don't know how to explain this is necessary, important, and one of the most basic things we can do, but somehow, it needs to be explained again. People DO need to take notice of their coworker, gym partner, neighbor or student who may be struggling, because the reality is, we are ALL struggling. Yes, the occupations listed above are prime scenarios for high stress that takes a toll on the human spirit, but to be honest, everyone is struggling in some way. We just haven't heard their story yet, listened to their cries for help, or noticed the difficulties our friends are battling.
KINDNESS is so often mentioned it's almost become an overused buzz word, and yet such a simple thing, the most basic action of caring, could be all it takes to help someone navigate this day, this week, next month. No one is immune to the cruel and harsh realities of this broken world, but maybe we could shift our behavior to be less self absorbed and more empathic; less focused on self gratification and more geared towards listening to the answer that follows a standard "how are you?" Because right now we're not listening to what's being said, we're missing what is left unsaid, and in that vague dark space, people are suffering, breaking, falling.
#WhateverItTakes
#YouAreNotAlone
