The campaign ‘clap for our carers’ first started on Thursday, 26th March. Hundreds of thousands of Brits stood together (metaphorically speaking), and clapped in support of the NHS. This has since developed into a weekly event whereby people show their support for key workers across the board.
It’s a heart warming and connecting experience to stand on my doorstep and clap together with my neighbours. When I listen intently I can hear the echo of claps coming from even more streets beyond my own. Over the weeks we have heard fireworks, pans banging, horns being sounded and ever cheering. There is something very special in the feeling of people coming together, connecting and showing their honest appreciation for the key workers who are keeping this country going.
Connection with the community
I can honestly say I have spoken more to my neighbours across the drive on a Thursday evening, than I have for over 3 years. I now know their names, their children’s names, and we have connected on Facebook! Out of really scary and sad times can come great joy and togetherness.
Arthur Ellis Mental Health Support
Recently I have joined Arthur Ellis Mental Health Support as a Non-Executive Director. Their CEO Jon Manning (follow him on LinkedIn to see what he is doing) is a very clever and inspiring guy having had his own journey and challenges with mental health. He had been chatting to me for a few weeks before the pandemic, and in this role I have found a real purpose in how I can support this incredible business. We work in many areas of support for mental health, as well as running a social enterprise, where we reinvest profits from our work into mental health support for children.
What happens when…
In a meeting a couple of weeks ago we were talking about how isolation may evolve and what role Arthur Ellis continues to take for the people we serve when we start to come out of lockdown, whenever that may be, and Jon suggested something that really resonated for me…
…he said ‘we need to think about what happens when the clapping stops’
I felt something right in my core when he said it because the impact that it will have will be quite something. A habit takes 28 days to create and we have created a habit of gratitude and community spirit every week and this is set to continue for some time yet, but when that clapping stops there will no doubt be mixed emotions – it will signify real change; that change is very likely to be a new way of living for who knows how long.
Creating new habits – more change
What we also have to be really aware of is that those habits that have kept us together and have given us a sense of support and togetherness will change. We may forget to check up on each other as often. We may become more independent from each other again, and most important we will have time to reflect and this can have adverse effects of anxiety and stress, and maybe worse consequences if we don’t continue to stay together and travel the next stage of our longer journey united.
Optimism
On a positive note, we will know that we have come out of the other side of this difficult situation, and whilst it has been harrowing for many, there will also be a sense of relief and deep pride of how we came together as humans. There have been and still are beautiful and wonderful moments of empathy and understanding going on all around us.
So what is really important?
There are many complexities when it comes to us humans and this article was inspired by Jon and the wonderful work that Arthur Ellis is doing. I felt I had to write about how awareness is something that we have to ensure continues. I hope very much that we come out of this as changed people, but it’s not something to take for granted. We can easily fall back into old habits and some very likely will. I do believe with really focused awareness we can make sure we keep some of our new and really valuable habits that we have formed. I know that we won’t clap every week forever, but there are some things we really can continue to do…
My hope is that we continue to…
❤️ Talk to our neighbours.
❤️ Check in with the older members of the community.
❤️ Be kind
❤️ Appreciating our key workers and how important they are
❤️ Forgive quicker
❤️ Work smarter
Arthur Ellis are here for us to care for our mental health and help people to become independent from illness. Their support will continue with…
🌟 Corporate programmes
🌟 Wellbeing Webinars
🌟 Online Training
🌟 Assessments
🌟 Support guides
🌟 Social Enterprise to support children
It’s important that we talk about what we can all do together to continue the gratitude, the support, and the hope, because one thing is for sure, at some point the clapping will stop.
If you would like to support the work that Arthur Ellis MHS is doing or maybe call upon their services then please do connect with me and check out the website to see the amazing work we are doing.
Our latest initiative is supporting the NHS frontline workers. We are offering fortnightly group sessions with the help of our Sponsors to help look after the emotional health of our NHS frontline workers during this time. Click here to find out more.
When I first heard the sound of the claps it made me cry. Like you said it is about connection. I also hope that we continue to think differently when the clapping ends. How else can we come together? Maybe a community singalong every Thursday evening. The nation picks a song and we all sing it, how cool would that be? I understand the initial intention was to show our support for NHS workers but it has definitely brought something more.
Yes Lindsay I couldn’t agree more and I’m glad you enjoyed my ramblings! x