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Communication is so fundamental to most of the things we do in our work as well as in our private lives. One of the most potent forms of communication is body language, the subtle – and sometimes not so subtle – ways in which our body gives off signals or ‘messages’. Sometimes body language reinforces what we are saying – for example, when we say yes and nod at the same time. At other times, body language undermines what we are saying – for example, when, in response to being asked how we are, we say: ‘I’m fine’, but the look on our face says we are anything but fine. https://neilthompson.info/index.php/develop-your-body-language-skills/

Do you feel your age? In his wistful series "Mirrors," Dallas-based photographer Tom Hussey captures the discrepancy between how old we look and how young we feel with sharp tenderness. The phoographer arrived upon the concept for his bittersweet series after a conversation with an 80-year-old World War II veteran who couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. "He commented that he didn’t understand how he could be 80 years old as he felt he was still a young man. He just didn’t feel it was possible he could be 80 years old," Hussey told the American Society of Media Photographers. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/tom-hussey-mirror-series-shows-elderly-people-looking-at-younger-selves_n_2958505.html

Why do so many people with caring responsibilities feel forced to give up work? “When the call came in to say mum had had another emergency episode, my employer was concerned all wasn’t well. It had been another episode in short succession and I had already spent some time away from the office. Of course I rushed to her bedside, but in the back of my mind I knew that I had responsibilities and commitments in the workplace and a contract of employment to adhere to.” https://www.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2015/07/27/it-s-emotional-being-a-carer-and-an-employee-at-the-same-time.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=cipd&utm_campaign=cipdupdate&utm_term=639989&utm_content=290715-3088-2916--20150729090232-Find%20out%20in%20People%20Management%27s%20article

Immigration is not a problem. How we deal with it is. And I don’t mean to suggest that talking about immigration is simply racist. Some of it is xenophobic too. We hear about enforcement, border controls, increasing numbers, a small island, and responses such as Go Home vans or Don’t Come to Britain Campaigns.  These are, some would say, phantom problems that are being addressed in often very costly ways, and it is the migrants who have to bear the brunt of illiberal policies that pay the highest price. Credible evidence about the impact of immigration, gathered by independent academics, media and advocates, tell a different story. In the last few years, as anti-immigration rhetoric has been on the increase,…

At Easter, Jenny McMurtary was given just days to live. At Christmas, she had been diagnosed with a sarcoma, a rare cancer, in her shoulder, and it had spread. But now she is making the most of the summer, with her husband, Michael. "We've been to garden centres, local villages and even made a trip to Hayling Island," says the 69-year-old. "You have to be careful not to push yourself too much, but I want to make the most of the time I have left." How has she defied medical opinion? Good care and personal determination have obviously played a key part. But so has the help she has received from the local hospice service. Jenny is one of 2,000…

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It is often said that trust needs to be earned, and that implies that we start off not trusting people until they reach the point when they have done enough to convince us that they are trustworthy. But is it really that simple? How realistic is it to withhold trust until we feel that the risk of having that trust abused is at a low enough level? Of course, it isn’t realistic at all. To a certain extent social interactions would not be possible if we did not begin with at least a degree of basic trust. Imagine totally mistrusting everyone we encounter unless and until they have done enough to convince us that they can be trusted. That would…

We worry that IM, texting, Facebook are spoiling human intimacy, but Stefana Broadbent's research shows how communication tech is capable of cultivating deeper relationships, bringing love across barriers like distance and workplace rules. https://www.ted.com/talks/stefana_broadbent_how_the_internet_enables_intimacy  

In setting out its six top tips for managing mental health in the workplace, Acas point out that mental health issues not only affect people's personal lives, wellbeing and morale at home, but can also impact on their performance at work and be costly for businesses. Approaching a member of staff about their mental health can be very challenging for a manager or a work colleague. https://www.thehrdirector.com/legal_updates/legal-updates-2015/acas-publishes-top-tips-online-advice-on-managing-mental-health-in-the-workplace/

The Netherlands could become the first country to pave its streets with plastic bottles after Rotterdam city council said it was considering piloting a new type of road surface touted by its creators as a greener alternative to asphalt. The construction firm Volker Wessels unveiled plans on Friday for a surface made entirely from recycled plastic, which it said required less maintenance than asphalt and could withstand greater extremes of temperature– between -40C and 80C. Roads could be laid in a matter of weeks rather than months and last about three times as long, it claimed. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/10/rotterdam-plastic-roads-trial-netherlands