A favour please. Be kind to those around you.

[Cagivagurl]

Hi,

I wanted to raise a topic. Sorry, it’s not going to be a pleasant one, but it is important.

It’s Christmas time, the festive season, holidays. Family gatherings, food, drink, presents. Fun for everybody.

Something you may not be aware of is. Did you know that, unfortunately, it is also a time of great stress and financial burden.

The lead up to Christmas sees domestic violence increases by nearly 30%.

Suicide rates are higher in December than any other time of the year. Especially youth suicide.



I want to ask a favour of everybody.



Take time to talk to your friends, family and loved ones. But, look around you, look to your wider family. Work colleagues, people travelling on the bus, the train. If you are concerned. Don’t be afraid to ask RUOK. Look into their eyes, see if they are indeed OK.

We have a knack of holding onto things, bottling them up until they become unbearable. Please, I implore you, look out for our wider family. Tensions at this time of year can be extreme. The pressures of life can seem to overwhelm us.

A simple act of kindness. Taking the risk to ask if they are OK, might be the thing that saves a life. Be prepared for an uncomfortable conversation.

Try to just listen... Let them talk, let them cry...

The people suffering don’t want advice, they just need support, a shoulder to cry on. A comforting arm over the shoulder can make all the difference.

Cagivagurl

 

[Priscilla_June]

Love this! Thanks for the reminder during this time of year. Im glad we are in a place we can openly discuss this and I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday

 

[RachelPost]

I can't thank you enough for posting this. I hope everyone in the forum will read this and make the effort to just be present for others. If this group is like most groups of people, 1 in 5 have suffered abuse of some kind. So, if you in need, find someone. If you are aware of a need, listen to them.

 

[Trionyx]

Having lost a relative to death by suicide, this is particularly poignant. Thank you.

 

[Cagivagurl]

Having lost a relative to death by suicide, this is particularly poignant. Thank you.

Sorry to hear of your loss.
It is something that will reach out and touch many of us over our lives.

Cagivagurl

 

[BobbyLaker]

A timely post - thank you @Cagivagurl

 

[EmilyMiller]

Hi,

I wanted to raise a topic. Sorry, it’s not going to be a pleasant one, but it is important.

It’s Christmas time, the festive season, holidays. Family gatherings, food, drink, presents. Fun for everybody.

Something you may not be aware of is. Did you know that, unfortunately, it is also a time of great stress and financial burden.

The lead up to Christmas sees domestic violence increases by nearly 30%.

Suicide rates are higher in December than any other time of the year. Especially youth suicide.



I want to ask a favour of everybody.



Take time to talk to your friends, family and loved ones. But, look around you, look to your wider family. Work colleagues, people travelling on the bus, the train. If you are concerned. Don’t be afraid to ask RUOK. Look into their eyes, see if they are indeed OK.

We have a knack of holding onto things, bottling them up until they become unbearable. Please, I implore you, look out for our wider family. Tensions at this time of year can be extreme. The pressures of life can seem to overwhelm us.

A simple act of kindness. Taking the risk to ask if they are OK, might be the thing that saves a life. Be prepared for an uncomfortable conversation.

Try to just listen... Let them talk, let them cry...

The people suffering don’t want advice, they just need support, a shoulder to cry on. A comforting arm over the shoulder can make all the difference.

Cagivagurl

Thank you

 

[SimonDoom]

This is great advice. Turn it around. Think about occasions when you are having a hard day, and work is a grind, and somebody stops by your office and says something nice. It feels good. It picks you up. We all have a chance to do that ourselves for others.

I work alone a lot, so I can go long stretches of time without interacting with people very much. So when I get off to the grocery store, I try to make a point of being nice to the clerk at the checkstand. You never know, a little kindness may make someone's day.

 

[MyBareTorso]

Hi,

I wanted to raise a topic. Sorry, it’s not going to be a pleasant one, but it is important.

It’s Christmas time, the festive season, holidays. Family gatherings, food, drink, presents. Fun for everybody.

Something you may not be aware of is. Did you know that, unfortunately, it is also a time of great stress and financial burden.

The lead up to Christmas sees domestic violence increases by nearly 30%.

Suicide rates are higher in December than any other time of the year. Especially youth suicide.



I want to ask a favour of everybody.



Take time to talk to your friends, family and loved ones. But, look around you, look to your wider family. Work colleagues, people travelling on the bus, the train. If you are concerned. Don’t be afraid to ask RUOK. Look into their eyes, see if they are indeed OK.

We have a knack of holding onto things, bottling them up until they become unbearable. Please, I implore you, look out for our wider family. Tensions at this time of year can be extreme. The pressures of life can seem to overwhelm us.

A simple act of kindness. Taking the risk to ask if they are OK, might be the thing that saves a life. Be prepared for an uncomfortable conversation.

Try to just listen... Let them talk, let them cry...

The people suffering don’t want advice, they just need support, a shoulder to cry on. A comforting arm over the shoulder can make all the difference.

Cagivagurl

A very sound and timely request! Thank you for posting this.

 

[Cagivagurl]

Sorry to hear of your loss.
It is something that will reach out and touch many of us over our lives.

Cagivagurl

@Trionyx I should have added.
I know my words bring no solace, and probably dredged up memories.
I do feel for you...
Much love and respect for adding your weight to what I see as an important issue...

Cagivagurl

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Yeah. I try to be extra nice to shop staff and bus drivers and all at this time of year, just because so many people are abrupt if not downright rude.

I try to always carry packs of tissues on me, which often get given away in the run-up to Christmas.