Communication challenges during lockdown: tackling sneaky inter (and intra!) personal issues.

Codependency, impostor syndrome, and the dreaded procrastination.

Three sneaky psychological programmes that can sabotage those all-important, essential, up-your-worth-by-50% communication skills (don't just take it from me, Warren Buffet said so!)

Yikes. 

Familiar with these terms? Maybe - and maybe not. But in the spirit of sharing knowledge, we’re going to talk them through, with a view to demonstrating how you can dropkick these tendencies out of your life, with the help of three copywriting hacks. Today, we tackle codependency.

Ding ding! First round. Shed your Rocky dressing gown, and get in the ring.

If you find yourself compulsively telling grown up adults what they should be doing, how you know better than they do, and that no, really I am right, why aren’t you doing everything I say?! ...You might have codependent tendencies.

There’s a wealth of information out there about this impulse to control others ‘for their own good’, but this behaviour can largely come from a place of deep insecurity and desire to run someone else’s life, in a bid to avoid the possibility of being hurt or let down.

Add that to a pandemic, and you have a bunch of well-meaning people hoovering up every scrap of news to feel like they are in control, locked into a catch-22 situation where the world would be better if only you could go out and fix it, but *gasp* you can’t!! 

So what can you do?

You can project your well-meaning advice onto your colleagues! You can take on too much responsibility! You can volunteer for so much work in the spirit of helping that you burn yourself out, but it’s OK, I have to do everything, no really!

Er... No. 

The writer's hack for this one is the foundation of almost all well-written copy: healthy curiosity, and sensible research. 

Try to gather information about what triggers your urge to tell someone what to do. Experience Life have a particularly helpful article that can help you identify which kind of codependent you might be. Combine that with a little self-reflection, and healthy inquiry (i.e. no page 17 of Google-trawling) will prime you against straying out of your lane. 

When you’re at work, ask yourself: what are you here to do? Who are you here to support? Did anyone actually ask you for your well-meant advice? Are you at risk of burnout? Do you really need to read another BBC article about the death toll? Is this the best way to be of service?

The best thing you can do to show up for yourself, and other people, is to ask questions. As with copywriting, so with life. Assume nothing. Do a little self-reflection. Ask the hard questions. Really listen to the answers.

Then you can get to work - once you know what the smart thing is to do. 

Part two, coming later this week, tackles an particularly insidious foe: impostor syndrome. See you then!