It's time to make a stand, raise awareness and be United Against Bullying. #antibullyingweek
No-one ever knows what struggles other people are going through, whether that be emotionally, physically, in their personal lives or at work.
It is easy to assume that someone is ok, just because they say they are, or they have a smile on their face, but this does not show what is really going on inside.
For other people there are clear signs that they are being bullied, which include them being late, taking lots of time off, avoiding situations, not being included in social events or distancing themselves from others. It can be easy to ignore these signs, and think that you do not want to get involved, but by taking a moment to think about their behaviour and question why, you will be able to start breaking down the barriers, and provide them with much needed support.
Bullying UK is encouraging people to #ChooseKindness and believe that a simple act of kindness can help a person to feel empowered to stand up to bullying.
Choosing kindness does not have to cost anything, but can help someone else enormously, as well as yourself:
Say something nice, as it can bring a smile to someone’s face
Acts of kindness release oxytocin, which lowers blood pressure
Being kind can help others feel happy and confident
Acts of kindness will never come back to hurt you and is never wasted on someone
Being mean and hurting others can hurt someone very deeply, think twice about what you say or do
During the pandemic, we have all heard and read about acts of kindness that have been happening all over the world and it is amazing how one of the most difficult times we will experience in our lives, will also be associated with kindness.
We will always remember Clap For Our Carers on Thursday evenings and the colourful rainbow pictures displayed in houses, which gave us all a sense of community and togetherness. So, let's all take the opportunity to show someone else some kindness and by doing so, you may have just given that person the confidence to stand up against the bullying they have been enduring.
What act of kindness will you do?
Don't forget PHRP's Wellbeing Week framework! On Teamwork Tuesday tell a colleague how their support for you in the last week has made a difference to you. Pause on Thankful Thursday to recognise and be grateful for the small things that go unnoticed in our busy worlds.