Jo is back!

My two and a half weeks of hell are over and Jo, my main instructor, is back from Egypt. She is looking sickenly healthy but is ready to get back on the pole. It was great to see her and it reminded me of the importance of support networks - friends and family who are there when you need them. Support networks are essential for all us us in the prevention of mental health & depression. Many homeless people develop mental health problems purely from social exclusion and how many of us are guilty of walking past a homeless person and ignoring them or looking the other way. My policy is always to at least smile rather than to look away.

I used to work with both mental health patients and people with learning disabilities and was always amazed at some people's negative attitude towards certain individuals. Smiling costs nothing and maybe if we all smiled a little bit more we would all fell a little better. I think certain shops (they will remain nameless) should have a word with their staff about the importance of smiling and eye contact. I hate going into a shop and not even making eye contact with the sales staff especially if they are too busy yapping to their colleague to take notice of me. I assume that is some homeless people feel when someone walks past them without even acknowledging their existence.

If you smile at someone and then they are rude to you then you can withdraw but I believe in treating others as you would like to be treated - anyway best I get off my soap box now and disappear of home. I am doing Radio Devon with Gordon sparks tommorow and have to be there for 7.15pm - it is a time that I have no knowledge of .

More ramblings tomorrow.

Stay mentally healthy

Sam x