Category: reflection

It’s time to give more value (and pay) to care workers and cleaners 

I actually wrote this post before the covid-19 pandemic, but it feels more relevant than ever. Clapping is all very well, but shouldn’t we be paying them more?  

I heard that there are moves to pay NHS workers more, but many (possibly most) care workers and cleaners are employed by agencies or are self-employed.  

Covid-19 has actually brought to people’s attention the valuable work of carers and the risks they take. Evidently cleaning, too, has a greater importance in a pandemic, especially cleaning of care homes and hospitals with anti-viral products. But these workers are valuable all the time, not just in a pandemic.  

Nearly everyone needs a cleaner or care worker at some point in their lives 

It’s not much fun to think about, but usually in old age, if not before, we all need help.  So, everyone should be interested in the quality of care and cleaning that is available for selfish reasons if nothing else.  

carer and patient at seadisde-bruno-aguirre-unsplash
Image by Bruno Aguirre from Unsplash

Cleaning and caring aren’t really unskilled 

A general excuse for low wages for cleaners and carers is that it is unskilled. To be honest, I don’t think many people who’ve used a range of cleaners and carers would agree. Almost anyone can have a go at cleaning or care work, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be any good. A good cleaner knows how to listen well to the client’s wishes, to work efficiently, not be too clumsy and use products and tools of the trade well. Inexperienced cleaners often use products inappropriately, break things and don’t leave the house clean and looking good. Cleaners with poor English/interpersonal skills don’t follow your instructions and can be really frustrating. As for carers, a good carer has a pleasant and kind manner, follows instructions well (using at least a reasonable level of intelligence and common sense) and has a gentle touch. Both need to be reliable and punctual. I imagine au pairs and childcare workers are another group that is often seen as unskilled but surely looking after someone’s children is a very important job indeed?  

I think it would be a good idea for there to be NVQs or other qualifications in cleaning because I really don’t think anyone can do it just like that and it would help identify the committed ones and give the vocation more status. NVQs could also be used more regularly when hiring care workers, whereas currently usually no qualification is required [1].  

The current situation is that a large number of cleaners and carers are not committed to their work, don’t feel valued, don’t do a good job and are only doing it temporarily. Clients are therefore often frustrated and having to regularly hire new ones as workers move on or are no good. Some people even give up and end up doing the cleaning themselves because they couldn’t find anyone good, or go without the homecare they need.  

gumpy cleaner-pixabay
Many cleaners are not happy with the conditions and are only in the role temporarily, which isn’t good for either party. Image by pezezzle from Pixabay

Caring for the vulnerable is really important, and not easy 

Everyone gets old. And very often when you get old, you need some help. The last thing anyone wants when they’re vulnerable and having to accept help is uncaring, unreliable, rough, lazy or rushed carers. We should be valuing care workers more than bankers, lawyers, builders, software developers, accountants, TV producers and reality TV stars. Care workers are helping people with their most vital needs – eating, dressing, washing, leaving the house… And yet councils are only willing to pay care agencies around £16 an hour to do this, which often means the care workers get paid around minimum wage once you factor in travel time between service users and petrol [1].   

I’m not a care worker myself but I imagine looking after service users who might have dementia or a complex physical or mental disability can be challenging and require training as well as a calm, patient, caring nature and good problem-solving skills. And then there’s end-of-life care, which obviously requires emotional resilience as well.  

Bad care can even result in death of a client in the worst-case scenario.  

Calling care work unskilled is nothing more than an excuse to continue underpaying the care workers.   

Tough working conditions 

I was quite horrified to learn that care workers in one of the major care firms in my area regularly work from around 7am to 11pm, having to be at work again at 7am the next day, often working 50+ hours a week. In addition to this, they are often not given enough time to travel between clients and rotas are often supplied only the night before, and often changed at the last minute. Some are on zero-hour contracts. Empty time between clients, even if it’s just half hours here and there that you can’t really use for anything, are unpaid. I honestly don’t know how people cope with this kind of working pattern, and am not surprised most seem to aspire to changing their career path. Fortunately not all care companies operate like this, but it seems quite common in care companies that are used by the council, no doubt partly due to the hourly rate limit being too low.  

And personal care (e.g. dealing with toilet needs) isn’t always the most enjoyable task, and surely should deserve extra pay and credit. 

As for cleaners, those working in offices, hospitals and nightclubs are often required to work extremely antisocial hours, such as the very early morning, and should be recognised for this in their pay and conditions.  

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Cleaning and care work can be physically and mentally very hard work. Image from Pixabay

Workers who aren’t valued generally don’t value their jobs 

As a result of this, care workers and cleaners are usually only doing the job temporarily. This causes inconsistency for clients and the constant need for care agencies/individuals to be recruiting and training new staff. It makes me sad that care workers and cleaners often want to start a retail business or get an office job because they don’t feel valued or adequately paid in their current positions.  

Time for a change! 

Let’s celebrate our care workers and cleaners, pay them more, be fussy about their skills and experience, and create more efficiency, safety and fulfilment for everyone! 

line of speedy cleaners adli-wahid-unsplash
Feel like this photo celebrates cleaners as they look epic – nice work Adli Wahid on Unsplash!

What can I do? 

If you hire a cleaner or care worker, pay them as much as you can afford and not as much as you can get away with (if they are self-employed, bear in mind that about half of their hourly rate might go on expenses/holiday/sick pay/NI and tax/travel time and unwanted breaks between jobs). 

Contact your local MP about the issue – if you don’t have much time, maybe just tweet or email them this post!  

Sign and share this petition: https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-pay-all-key-workers-at-least-15-an-hour 

Be prepared to pay more tax to fund better pay for council-funded care 

If you have a friend or acquaintance doing one of these jobs, you can always do your best to make them know you think it’s an important and skilled job to have. 

 I would love to hear your thoughts!  

cleaner waving-mop over-=head-pixabay
Image from Pixabay

References 

[1] Based on the adverts regularly featured in my local paper by various care companies 

[2] https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=Care_Worker/Hourly_Rate and https://www.litrg.org.uk/tax-guides/disabled-people-and-carers/caring-someone/issues-facing-paid-care-workers and https://www.homecare.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1605174/Most-home-care-workers-are-paid-less-than-minimum-wage 

A Few Author Myths Debunked (I Hope) — insightful post by Legends of Windemere

This is coming late because I missed this day on the scheduling. I think. Anyway, I had a post I was going to do Sunday that I’ll do now. It’s kind of a rant, but I’m sure people can relate in some fashion. One of the most FRUSTRATING things in my life is that people […]

via A Few Author Myths Debunked (I Hope) — Legends of Windemere

The suprising perks of being more assertive

This post sums up my more positive results from my attempts at being more assertive!

Not feeling so taken advantage of/resentful and getting things done

I’ve had some satisfying moments, for example: 1. I got a large reduction of my garage bill after I mentioned that it had taken a lot less time then they’d predicted and that they seemed to have passed my phone number onto personal injury companies. 2. I managed to avoid what would have been an immense pain flare-up after persuading the pier tram driver that she needed to keep running the tram until the usual time and not pack up early because only two of us wanted to take the tram back. 3. I got some repairs done in my rented accommodation. Being more assertive can definitely be useful and show some results.

Feeling strong and alive

It can be really satisfying to be polite, direct and assertive and get a deserved result. Physically I am no longer strong at all, but being more assertive gave me a feeling of psychological strength that was very satisfying.

crossfit-woman-wightlifter
Being more assertive can give you a great feeling of strength once you get in the swing of it. Photo of a weightlifter by Ichigo121212 from Pixabay 

 

Improvements at work

My previous employer was always keen for me to be more assertive and I learnt a lot in that job about expressing myself in a more assertive way. Learning direct and polite assertiveness can be a huge asset in almost any job. It’s also definitely useful at times when dealing with the bureaucracy that disabled people often face, though you also have to be careful when dealing with staff who clearly get a kick out of wielding their powers.

Relationship improvements

I strongly feel that being able to assert yourself appropriately is very important in a relationship. If you can’t raise and discuss your needs and wishes, they will become repressed and you may become passive-aggressive or just fed up with the relationship. I prefer a partner who can also say no when I’m being unreasonable – deep down I don’t think any of us wants a completely passive partner who will efface themselves in a quest to constantly please us. That said, it’s a fine balance and pitfalls such as becoming too fussy are worth looking out for (I’m definitely prone to that!).

In conclusion…

I was surprised at how complicated being more assertive turned out to be. I hadn’t realised that you really need a good relationship as well with friendliness and charm. I think it’s a skill I’ll be working on all my life. My goals going forward with assertiveness are:

  • To continue being assertive with service providers but while remaining polite, not grumpy, and trying to consider the pressures they may be under, and also the limits on my time for prolonged disputes;
  • To try to raise issues with those I live with sooner rather than later, before resentment builds up (also the landlord), and using polite, carefully considered language;
  • To try to avoid being instantly defensive when someone is assertive with me;
  • To avoid friendly disputes unless I know that the friend is comfortable with it.

What about you? What are your experiences with assertiveness and plans for the future?

 

The surprising pitfalls of being more assertive

A couple of years ago I decided I wanted to try to become more assertive, mainly in my interactions with service providers such as phone companies, garages and landlords. I felt like I was getting fobbed off a lot and accepting poor service. It was a very interesting goal to have, with surprising results. This post focuses on the surprising pitfalls:

Becoming too fussy

If you get into a mindset where you want to never be taken advantage of or get a bad deal, you might end up spending hours and hours a week complaining about products and services and trying to get the result you feel you deserve. Ultimately, you do have to let some things go unless you enjoy being involved in consumer complaints. I am contemplating developing some sort of system for this, such as a minimum price limit for complaints, or taking up every other issue I encounter (is it me or are goods and services getting shoddier overall?).

There’s also a risk of expecting too much from people. Everyone makes mistakes and the self-employed in particular are often under a lot of pressure due to the stresses of managing a business and the low and irregular pay often involved.

It’s difficult to predict people’s reactions, which may be negative

For some reason, I thought that if I was assertive in a ‘good’ way (relatively polite and direct), people would be ok with it. The fact is, you can’t totally predict people’s reactions and it’s also difficult to completely avoid sounding pompous/self-righteous/insulting when being assertive, so sometimes people will be rude to you, or they might be scared by conflict and back right away, even blocking you maybe. Alternatively, it may simply be ignored unless you employ further tactics and means. People are naturally quite defensive for the most part and even employing textbook tactics such as using ‘I’ not ‘you’ statements and including a compliment may still lead to some negativity towards you, some ‘fighting back’ – or flight.

I realised that although I’d become comfortable with debate and minor conflicts in friendships, not all my friends had. I even lost a friend through this, who decided to block me after I disagreed with him on an issue. As it was over Whatsapp I didn’t realise he was getting seriously upset by the conversation that I just saw as a quite trivial difference in views.

Most people are not comfortable with disagreements, in my experience, and it can be difficult to gauge how comfortable someone is. That said, some couples and family members are VERY comfortable with disagreements, as my neighbours demonstrate! It’s probably easier to gauge when you are face to face, and maybe even necessary to ask how someone feels about having debates or disagreements, if it’s a friend or partner. I once almost broke up with a partner because we’d been sniping at each other a lot and he was totally shocked as clearly he’d been fine with it, whereas to me it was a sign it wasn’t working.

Revenge

According to a study commissioned by Danny Wallace for is book ‘F*** you very much’, 14% of Brits have taken revenge against someone who was rude to them. If you’re going to get very assertive, which some people may feel is rude, watch out! I do worry about people spitting in my food sometimes, even when, to my mind, I’m being completely reasonable.

assertiveness
Being more assertive can feel great, but you do have to be prepared for some people responding defensively. Artwork copyright of this site.

Enjoying it too much

While being assertive can sometimes be scary and unpleasant, it can also be enjoyable. In fact, it can become addictive so watch out! I remember being a bit freaked out when I finally got control of the troublesome Spanish children I was teaching English to and actually started to quite enjoy the feeling of power.

Have you experienced these or any others? I’d love to hear your experiences!

Are they exaggerating their disability and, if so, why?

A system that is designed to eliminate fraud but has unwanted effects

These days the conditions for getting disability benefits and a blue badge are so extreme that many people who are genuinely in need and should be eligible are finding it difficult to qualify. There have also been many instances of the assessors deliberately lying or trying to catch out participants [2]. For me, hearing about this has definitely made me quite anxious about assessments, especially because I look fine. I can be totally exhausted and in extreme pain but I’m young and not naturally very expressive and you really can’t see it just by looking at me. You might see it if you know me and you’re looking with a sympathetic eye, but if you’re looking to fill quotas and save the government money, you could easily decide I look totally normal. Many people going through the process of applying for benefits are aware of the instances where assessors have disregarded what they have said instead commenting on how they looked and other superficial observations [1]. Unfortunately for many young people with severe degrees of conditions such as ME/CFS, MS, EDS, Fibromyalgia and so on, they feel a pressure to demonstrate their disability by walking in more agonised way, turning up at the assessment in pyjamas, using a stick etc. Something the majority of people don’t know is that pain is often delayed, so even if someone isn’t looking agonised now, they may feel it later. I’ve noticed that there has been some adjustment to the application forms to cater a bit more for fluctuating conditions and invisible illness but there’s still some way to go. It’s unfortunate that the very honest people who don’t exaggerate their condition at the assessment are possibly more likely to lose out than the (rare) people who are actually fine and made the whole thing up, and who are probably seasoned actors. Every time I have an assessment (and there seem to be many! Plenty of bureaucracy for the sick!) I do feel a pressure to look ill and in pain (which I often am), but at the same time I worry they’ll see me at another moment looking well and think I’m faking the whole thing! It’s a minefield!

visible-knee-pain-pixabay
How useful it would be if pain was visible! Unfortunately, it’s not. Photo from Pixabay.

 

A topic that’s hard to discuss

Another reason I feel like people think I’m faking it is because I rarely talk about how my condition affects me. It’s quite hard to fit into conversation sometimes, people rarely ask and it’s inevitably awkward, as you feel like you’re fishing for sympathy, and sometimes you get pity, or, alternatively, disbelief, which can be quite depressing/upsetting. But I know I need to discuss it more, because it’s just not something people know about, and I’m doing all these ‘odd’ things like sometimes using a stick/wheelchair and other times looking like I walk fine.

Mental ill-health

I think this is also an area that can really confuse people. I’ve found myself thinking ‘so-and-so is always laughing so he can’t be depressed’, and I’m sure that’s not the right way to look at it! I also knew a guy who stayed up all night before his assessment so he’d look ‘more obviously depressed’ by being dishevelled.

anxious looking girl
Those with mental health problems also feel pressure to conform to stereotypical images of anxiety and depression. Image by Pezibear from Pixabay.

What can we do about the situation?

If you have a hidden disability:

  • Try to talk about it more – it’s hard, but I know I need to do this
  • Share this post with people, or similar posts
  • Challenge any suspicions you may have about other people

If you don’t have one:

  • Challenge your suspicions and try not to be as judgmental as we are encouraged to be
  • If you find out someone you know has an invisible illness, say something like ‘I’m interested how the condition affects you, if you don’t mind sharing, so that way I can be more considerate about it’ – they’ll love you forever! And a lot more things will make sense. Do bear in mind they may only give you an edited version though, as actually detailing all the effects could take a long time for some people!
  • Feel free to ask questions such as ‘how does it feel when you walk too much?’ – but make sure your tone is not suspicious or judgmental! Most people with invisible illnesses feel very judged already.
  • Try not to expect people to look how they feel, and try not to assume it’s much worse to be physically unable to do something than to be able but only with significant negative effects.
  • Try to read some or all of the blog posts in your feed about invisible conditions so you learn more.

What are your thoughts and experiences on this topic? Comment below!

If you found this post interesting, you might also like other posts on disability issues:

Feeling like a disability fake even when you’re not

Government finally reveals that more than 4000 died within six weeks of being deemed fit for work 

Reflections on asking for help

Tips on managing chronic pain

Re-examining ‘fear of movement’ in chronic pain patients

Don’t focus on my impairment, ask me what I can bring to the role

We’ve got to stop pretending disability doesn’t exist

Chronic pain: an unrecognised taboo

References

[1] https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/355/35504.htm#_idTextAnchor019

[2] https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/wow-questionnaire-responses-show-assessors-are-still-lying/ and https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/pip-investigation-welfare-expert-says-two-thirds-of-appeals-involve-lying-assessors/ and https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/355/35504.htm and

Some documentaries worth checking out!

Here’s my pick of food-for-thought iplayer documentaries (and nothing about Trump or Brexit I promise! You can find quite enough about those without my help!). They’re all quite easy watching in fact.

The music industry

This is interesting whether you’re a Kate Nash fan or not (I wasn’t at all familiar with her work). She tells it she finds life in the cut-throat music industry, which can be pretty different to how most people imagine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p07ctstz/kate-nash-underestimate-the-girl

British woman who died fighting ISIS with a Kurdish militia

One of the most captivating documentaries I’ve ever seen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0006h6x/anna-the-woman-who-went-to-fight-isis

Japan

Even if you already know a fair bit about Japan, this offers some in-depth coverage and some shocking revelations.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0008kg8/japan-with-sue-perkins-series-1-episode-1

walter-mario-stein-kqfE9mvv7Xw-unsplash
Photo by Walter Mario Stein on Unsplash Japanese woman in forest with umbrella

 

Man giving birth

Get up to speed on men who have transitioned from female who de-transition in order to give birth… a fascinating watch, though you may wish to skip the birth scenes if you’re not keen on such things! It’s not graphic but even so, the moaning isn’t for everyone…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0008bxb/seahorse-the-dad-who-gave-birth

Documentary criticising middle class behaviours

Goes into the lengths some parents go to get their kids into the schools they want, property development in London and such (the title is a bit click-bait-ish). Something a bit different…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00071ly/how-the-middle-class-ruined-britain

Homophobia in football: getting rid of it

Homosexual rugby player Gareth Thomas goes on a mission to tackle homophobia in football… An interesting watch, whether you like football or not.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0007s58/gareth-thomas-v-homophobia-the-legacy

sandrachile-ehDLfpmymoI-unsplash

A committed carnivore tries veganism

Always enjoyable to see someone trying something totally foreign to them, with an open mind, and engaging with very different people in the same way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p07c6dwj/hayley-hayley-goes-6-vegan

America child brides

Unusual documentary on an issue that is rarely discussed… thought-provoking and at times shocking.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p072qyrb/americas-child-brides

Syrians in a remote part of Scotland

Really interesting look at how Syrian refugees are finding their new life on a Scottish island.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0007sws/ad/our-lives-series-3-from-syria-to-scotland

The cam-girl industry

Pretty astounding revelations by owners of cam sites on a round-table discussion which includes a subscriber (ADULT only content)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p076jsr3/common-people

A great post about judging others with disabilities and dealing with such judgement: “How To Cope When You Are Feeling Judged” by Despite Pain

via How To Cope When You Are Feeling Judged

Insightful post by Urspo on the usefulness of asking for help more, masculinity archetypes, and some tips: Spo-reflections on asking for help

I am not a fan of Robert Heinlein. There are many reasons for this but one of them is about the traits of his novels’ heroes. They are often ‘The self-sufficient man’. The fellows could do everything themselves thus never needing help from others. Mr. Heinlein extols his readers (mostly boys) to be likewise and he castigates thems who do not. […]

via Spo-reflections on asking for help. — Spo-Reflections

7 reasons not to automatically cut out the negative people

On quite a regular basis I come across advice to cut out the negative people in my life, whether in an illustrated quote on social media, in a book or article, or on a podcast. The gist of the advice is that negative people will drag you down and ruin your attempts at living a ‘positive life’. There is some truth and logic in all this: depression can be a bit catching and presumably there are people out there who enjoy putting others down or making fun of them, and people who anger easily and say mean things. It’s undeniably important to look out for our wellbeing and reflect on how spending time with our current friends and family makes us feel. And I would never suggest anyone stay with an abusive partner/family member, who is violent, controlling, constantly critical, not understanding or manipulative. There probably are some people who you might need to cut out. But today I’m going to talk about why this advice doesn’t seem like great blanket advice, my experiences of it, and what I think a better approach could be.

1. Friendship is really important for people with mental health issues

Friendship can be hugely important for mental health, and depressed or anxious people needs friends too.

Here’s what some sites have to say:

There is a tendency to say that depressed people don’t need friends, they need a therapist. But, in reality, therapists can’t do everything and there can be long waits to see one and between sessions. And therapists tend to encourage depressed people to do more things socially. But that’s going to be difficult if their friends have cut them off because they are not positive enough!

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Friendship is super important for people with mental health issues. Photo by Roberto Nicksong on Unsplash. 

2. Losing friends is extra painful when you’re depressed or have anxiety

I can definitely testify to this. And depressed people often have an exaggerated view of their bad qualities, with many thinking they are worthless, so losing friends is only going to enhance this. Also, depressed people often avoid socialising even though it is known to help, and if they keep losing friends, that’s going to make them more likely to avoid seeking new ones for fear of yet more rejection and disappointment. Similarly, for those with social anxiety, rejection will feel very significant and will increase the barriers to making social connections.

3. One day it will probably be you who is the negative person

Depressed people can be a bit mopey to be around, they may not have a lot of optimism or jokes, they may be quiet or talk about themselves and their problems a lot. So, yeah, they might not be the people most likely to boost your positivity, but your friendship could mean a great deal to them at this difficult time. Many people experience depression at some point in their lives – one in five according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists – and it’s quite likely that one day you’ll be having a hard time and you’ll want your friends to be there for you even if you’re not all smiles.

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Most of us will be depressed at some point, or have a period of anxiety, and hope that our friends stick by us. Stunning photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash. 

4. A small sacrifice on your part could mean a great deal to someone having a hard time

I’ve very rarely turned away someone who wanted to be my friend. This has often been surprising to other people, who wanted nothing to do with the person who was a bit abrupt or talked too much. But I’ve always felt that meeting someone for lunch or a coffee was a small thing to me, and perhaps important to this person who had no other friends. Everyone needs friends.

5. You can feel good about being there for the person

If you really want to see everything in terms of the benefit it brings to you, well, you can feel good about doing something for another person. There is a deeper value in looking out for and caring for other people than in trying to make everything in your life ‘positive’, which, in fact, is an impossible and potentially quite a frustrating aim.

Also, showing a bit of kindness to a person having a tough time could help that person get better, saving the NHS some money, maybe also the benefits system, and reducing the likelihood of very sad, disruptive events such as suicides and drug addiction. Individuality actually often backfires because, ultimately, we all live and work in proximity with others.

6. You might regret cutting people out

I’ve cut out a couple of people. It’s easy to do it hastily in an argument or after they’ve said something you find really offensive, and quite hard to backtrack on. I’d suggest waiting a couple of days before cutting anyone out. You often don’t really miss something until it’s gone, and that can be true of friends. And waiting a couple of days gives you both time to cool off.

I’ve also found that friends with depression or anxiety are often the most loyal and appreciative. The most entertaining, fun friends are often those who won’t stay in touch if you move and may be more prone to dropping you if they get in a relationship or find more convenient or more fun friends elsewhere. And, hopefully, those friends with depression and anxiety won’t always be so anxious or depressed, and will remember how you stuck by them and be there for you when you need it.

7. Learn to develop boundaries and care for yourself

If spending time with someone is leaving you feeling drained, worried or low, this could be a great opportunity to work on your assertiveness and self-care. Figure out how long you can spend with that person without it having much of an adverse effect on you, and then implement it, if you can. If necessary, tell them you need a bit more time apart and feel free to only take calls or look at their messages when convenient to you, if that’s an issue.

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Developing boundaries and assertiveness often removes the feeling of needing to cut someone out completely, and is a great skill. Photo by Paige Muller on Unsplash. 

In the UK, we’re not great at assertiveness and we’re quite prone to avoiding situations that might feel a bit awkward. I’ve come to think that’s not a good thing and I’ve been working on not being so avoidant. Once you learn how to look after your needs and ask others to respect them, you won’t need to ghost people, block people or completely cut people out of your life (except in extreme cases perhaps). And those are great skills to have in the workplace and as a parent, when you simply can’t avoid everyone who causes you irritation or upset.

If someone often gets angry with you, or says things you find offensive, or says a lot of pessimistic things that make you feel demoralised – try bringing it up and explaining how it’s affecting you. I’ve done this and found it has worked. If someone values your friendship, they will make the effort. If they don’t then, fair enough, cut them out. Likewise, if you know for sure that talking to them about the issue won’t help, or if even minimal contact is going to be too upsetting to you, then that is probably a sign you should cut them out. I’ve actually never met anyone like that, or anyone really manipulative who tries to make me feel bad but I assume they are out there and sure, avoid them.

In summary, here are a few reasons not to automatically cut out the negative people:

  • A small sacrifice on your part could mean a great deal to someone having a hard time
  • Friendship is really important for people with mental health issues
  • One day it will probably be you
  • Losing friends is extra painful when you’re depressed or have anxiety
  • You might regret it later: consider all the good times you’ve had with this person and their good qualities
  • Rationing time with such people can be better than cutting them out completely
  • You can feel good about being there for the person
  • Use it as an opportunity to learn how to develop appropriate boundaries and assertiveness

What are your thoughts? Share below!

Related links

https://byrslf.co/why-im-not-cutting-negative-people-out-of-my-life-in-2018-db043a38b412

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/the-other-side-of-cutting-out-the-negative-people A description of how it can feel to be cut out

https://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-negative-people-or-difficult-people/

 

 

Now could be the time to let go of gender assumptions

When was the last time you said “well, that’s men for you!” or “oh, you know, women!!!”? Or something like “well, it’s a girl/guy thing…” I’m guessing probably not that long ago. Me too! It’s actually really difficult to avoid, even if you want to. Why? Well, it’s great for bonding with fellow men or women. It’s also an easy way to explain a difference between you and your partner without getting personal (“oh, you know, it’s a guy thing I think.”). It’s also habit, and often used humorously (“honestly, men and their toys!” etc.).  Common gender assumptions include: men are stronger than women; women are more empathetic than men; men are better at maths and women are more interested in relationships than casual sex. Now, I’m not saying that none of these hold some truth, even a great deal of truth in the first case. But what I’ve been wondering more and more in recent years is:

Are gender assumptions serving us well?

I think my trigger for considering this was a guy I dated who constantly challenged any gender assumptions I made: both literally in conversation and simply by being who he was. Gradually, I began to realise how unhelpful some of my gender assumptions had been. The main negatives are:

Harm to the men and women who don’t fit the assumption

This is a major one I think. It’s hard to find a gender assumption that will be true in 100% of cases (I challenge you! Comment below if you think you have one!). And for those who don’t fit the assumption, it can be tough: for the women who are great at IT but have to battle to be taken seriously, for the men with lower sex drives than their wives, for the women with no urge to have kids and for the men who love knitting. Being seen as the odd-one-out can be crushing, leaving people feeling ashamed of who they are and unable to talk freely with others about how they truly feel for fear of seeming abnormal. This has been discussed in a sexual context in the guest post on libido, where the common (but wrong) assumption remains that men are all highly sexualised and certainly more so than their girlfriends or wives [1]. A similarly crushing (and very common) assumption is that women all get broody and men generally don’t.

And, as the current climate also demonstrates, life is particularly tough for women trying to prove themselves in male-dominated fields such as science, the film industry, politics and business leadership. At every step they come up against assumptions that they are less worthy than men to be there and thus have to fight twice as hard. And yet there is no evidence that these particular women are not every bit as good as the men they are competing with (and trying to be paid as much as) – indeed, they may even be better.

alex-bagirov-151675
It can be tough for women in male-dominated fields (such as engineering) when they constantly feel they have to prove themselves, due to the assumption that men are better at it.

Even if you believe that more men than women are better at maths, for example, that doesn’t mean that the female accountant doing your tax return is any less skilled than her male colleagues. And even if you believe that more women than men are interested in having children, that doesn’t mean that the woman you’re dating is necessarily going to be keen on the idea (nearly all of my boyfriends have assumed this and not thought to ask!). So, just how are those assumptions serving us when we can never know which men and women will actually fit with the assumption?

I guess at times gender assumptions can be helpful though. They might help English teachers pick a range of books that are likely to interest pupils of both genders more equally than if they’d given the matter no thought, for example. But for most of us, in everyday life, I don’t see that they’re very useful. 

Disagree? Comment below!

Perpetuating trends

Every time we make a comment in the form of a gender assumption, we contribute to its continuation. If you’re a man and you hear all the time that men enjoy porn, you’re likely to watch it and think you should enjoy it. If you’re a woman and you hear all the time that women are bad at parking, you may put down your errors to your gender instead of the potentially real cause of inexperience, lack of confidence or a stressful day. You may just let your husband park for you, whereas were the situation reversed, you can bet your bottom dollar your husband would be practising parking until he had it mastered! (Note to self: practice parallel parking!).

Self-confidence plays a large part in mastering most skills, and studies show that girls who were given (false) information about girls being less good at maths than boys actually performed less well in a maths test than the girls who hadn’t been shown that information! [2]

Pressure to conform stifles individuality and limits options

What most people want in life is to be accepted for who they truly are. What if we welcomed into our world, without even raising our eyebrows, the deeply empathetic men, the highly ambitious women, the men who love to sew, the women who love to code, the broody men, the sex-mad women, the boys who dress as princesses, the girls who love to play-fight, the men who aren’t strong, the women who are, the female welders, the male secretaries, the women with an interest in war memorabilia and the men who love romcoms… Just imagine how liberating life would be for all these people (and I guarantee they are out there!) if they didn’t have to worry about being judged or laughed at but instead if people just saw them and thought “well, everyone is different”. Because that, after all, is one undeniable fact.

girl in skate park
Imagine if we could all do and be what we wanted without gender assumptions getting in the way!

 

Without these assumptions, none of us would risk feeling like a cliché or a failed “gender rebel” either. It would be fine, as a woman, indeed a liberated, 21st-century woman, to be a stay-at-home mum, spending your free time making scented candles and having nights in with friends watching Dirty Dancing and drinking Prosecco, if you so wished.

Lately I’ve been trying to say what I like and don’t like, what I’m good at and not good at and what I want and don’t want from life, and not throw myself in with the vast group that is “women”. I’ve seen this trend growing in some of the podcasts I listen to as well, such as the Guilty Feminist podcast. To be honest, it feels much more truthful. Time and experience have revealed to me that women don’t all like the same books, films, clothes, partners and sexual practices. They aren’t all good at reading people or subtlety or being caring. They don’t all want children or rich husbands or non-stressful jobs. And men are equally diverse, even if they don’t necessarily reveal it to their male acquaintances. They don’t all like porn, action movies, fancy cars, no-fuss clothing and technology. They aren’t all good at parking, fixing things or being direct. And they don’t all want big houses, beautiful wives, lots of sex and a fridge full of beer (really!).

And if you go through life basing your decisions on these assumptions, you may well end up with pretty unhappy partners/children/employees/friends. Maybe now is the time to let go of our assumptions and just let people be who they are!

And you know what, we could all have more fun too. I’d like to know more about cars and football. Maybe if I did, I’d have new passions! Men also often tend to rule out a whole range of books and films that they might actually love. You could be missing out on discovering your ideal job because it’s not one you would feel respected, as a man/woman, doing. Why are we limiting ourselves in these ways?

fares-nimri-361821
Not ALL men want big houses, beautiful wives, lots of sex and a fridge full of beer!

I’m really happy that I grew up in a household where it was ok to like toy cars as well as dolls, to play at being a firefighter as well as a mum and to choose to study whatever I wanted. I’ve felt gloriously free to bend gender norms by playing rugby and darts, wearing men’s clothes and aftershave (occasionally) and owning a toolbox, which I use from time to time (thanks mum!). I want everyone to feel this liberated!

I still don’t quite feel free of gender expectations when it comes to sex and relationships, and talking about them with other people, but I’m getting there. And I’m still catching myself bolstering gender assumptions I don’t even believe in for the sake of group bonding, not disagreeing with someone or making things seem less personal but my challenge for 2018 is to do this much less. Anyone care to join me?

Share your thoughts below!

References

[1] e.g. see http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/sex-confessions-women-want-sex-more-than-men_n_3203879

and

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/women-want-sex-more-than-men-partners_n_3179516

[2] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-maths-girls/girls-do-badly-at-math-when-told-boys-better-study-idUSN2242207920070524

See also Related Links

Related Links

https://jezebel.com/5785910/the-damaging-expectation-of-higher-male-desire

The Guilty Feminist Podcast: Assumptions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThjQ-sG3dlE

Why I’m done trying to be ‘man enough’: YouTube TED talk by actor Justin Baldoni

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/hormones-and-the-brain/201907/three-fallacies-about-the-brain-and-gender