Humansolutions Bulletin - August 16th 2018

Other books by Neil are available from here

What I mean by hassle is anything that causes annoyance, slows us down or in any way reduces our quality of life. And, by an audit, I mean a means of weighing up the hassles we face, considering the impact they have on us and trying to do something about them. I am not proposing any sort of formal measurement system, just a listing of those things that give you hassle, a consideration of how significant each of these is and then some thought given to what, if anything, you can do about them. My career has involved me in helping people address problems and concerns that they are up against. This has often led to situations in which people…

You’re worth nothing,” Colin’s stepfather used to tell him as a child. Even now, sleeping rough on the streets of Manchester, the words haunt him; as a child he started believing it himself, and is still racked with self-doubt. It’s easier not to think what demons might be plaguing a person sleeping rough. Much simpler to keep walking, pass them by: out of sight, out of mind. It’s the natural response, says Alex Greenhalgh, co-founder of social enterprise People of the Streets. “The norm is being ignored or sidelined,” he says. “Or pitied with an awkward smile. It’s a totally isolating experience.” The one perspective nobody ever sees, says Greenhalgh, is the one that really matters: that of the person in the doorway, the…

Here’s a simple hierarchy: The self-driving car Cruise control Manual driving Hitchhiking Bicycling Walking The arc? As you move down the list, it gets harder and harder to coast. It moves from “set it once and forget it” to “one step at at time.” The growth of audiobooks is outpacing reading. Why? Because audiobooks come with their own motor. Even readers are pointing out that they’ve forgotten how to read. But of course, that’s not true–we can still read a word, or even a sentence, it’s pushing ourselves through a chapter that’s difficult. Click here to read more

Autistic people can get overloaded by everything around them. It's like all the senses are firing, all at once. Like there's no filter. Like they're getting too much information. The latest film in our Too Much Information campaign focuses on the impact unexpected changes can have on autistic people. Our film, starring Saskia, shows her becoming increasingly anxious due to the unexpected changes on her train journey. There are many ways you can help stop an autistic person from feeling overwhelmed on public transport... Click here to read more

Workplace conversations happen all the time of course, but “good” conversation – talking that makes change happen or calms conflict – is a real skill that often needs to be learned. As one NHS trust found, equipping managers with better conversation skills has also helped to cut absence and sickness levels, explains Rebecca Foreman. Workplace conversations aren’t in a healthy state. As the basis of our day-to-day experience and workplace relationships, conversations are fundamental to wellbeing, how we cope with stress and the rollercoaster of organisational life. While work technologies and management have evolved over the past hundred years or so of working together in formal environments like offices, our ability to have “good” conversations hasn’t moved on. Click here…