TMI Tuesday – Relationships and Attention

1. Compared to 5 years ago do you care more or less about what people think of you?

I would like to say less. The reality is probably that it hasn’t really changed. I still have a pathological need to gain people’s approval

2. What is the last self-help book, article or blog post you read? Did it help you?

In the early hours of this morning I was preparing a blog post and I delved into articles about narcissistic parents and the effects on their children. It was somewhat helpful to explain the behaviour of my own parent which hasn’t always been exemplary but I guess we all have failings. The thing I am coming to realise is that while you may have a reason for your failing I don’t have an obligation to accept behaviour from you that is damaging to me. There is a reason that the word toxic is used to describe certain people.

3. Tell us 3 people you must have in your life.

Mr Jones because he is Mr Jones. I like to think sometimes that I could manage without him but I really honestly couldn’t.

The Unicorn because if there was a mini me in the world it is her.

I don’t have a third person.

4. Does tech interfere with your personal relationships? How so?

I think that tech interferes with living in general. Spending endless hours with your head down scrolling and scrolling. When can you get that time back. How can you connect when you are so stimulated that your brain doesn’t relax into existing?

5. When you want your partner or friend’s undivided attention, how do you communicate that?

Depends on the friend but I find putting my body directly in their line of sight so that they can’t ignore me works well. This applies for teenagers who don’t want to listen to an instruction, children who are fixated on a television and husbands who haven’t noticed you in a while.

Bonus: What is your view of love?