On Canceling Social Plans, Social Skills Fading With Aging, and the Psychological First Aid Kit
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This week’s top reads are about social relationships and healthy ways we can keep ourselves mentally balanced. We look at why we bail on friends, how to perform “psychological first aid”, and why our communication skills change as we age.
Image: Logan Weaver, Unsplash
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Image: Marco Bianchetti, Unsplash
Why Do I Always Want to Bail on Plans With My Friends?
We’ve all canceled plans with friends, and we’ve all felt the relief that comes along with it. Even during a pandemic, when we are more isolated than ever, we still cancel Zoom calls, bail on socially-distanced game night, and miss walks with our group. We often feel the need to connect, but we are fickle creatures. We agree too quickly, become lazy when it’s time to head out, and misjudge how worth it hanging out with friends is. But why?
Do Our Social Skills Fade As We Age? Seniors May Not Like The Answer
It’s no secret we change as we age. Our tastes, body, and mind all undergo metamorphosis. Unfortunately, as most old people age and begin to retire, the changes to their personalities take a turn for the worst. Isolation and pain make them angry, the loss of control in their life makes them close-minded and quicker to “speak their minds”, and they can push away even close family. There’s not much that can be done to dissuade them. Like with everything else, the change for good must start from within, just like the changes for worse.
The Pandemic Proves We All Should Know ‘Psychological First Aid.’ Here Are The Basics.
As the world burns around us, it can feel like everything could end in any second. So, our mental health may not seem as important. However, now more than ever, when we’re bombarded by bad and worse news hourly, it’s important to know the basics of mental health first aid. We don’t have to set a broken bone or cure a cold to be a valuable help to our friends. We just need to let them know it’ll be okay. And maybe to take a deep breath.
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