Be kind, let’s practice humanity

By Shiphrah Njeri

We are born humans in this worldly existence but the choice for being humane is a conscious one. Humanity is slowly eroding; factors contributing to this development could be negative social media, increased acts of crime, and wars like the present one in Ukraine. Humans treating each other inhumanely seem to be the norm. Humanity is the idea of collective good and consciousness which makes us humane and explores the divinity within us. When we embrace the values of compassion and empathy we become humane and serve humanity rising above parochial interests.

The mainstream media exaggerate matters to gain market share; bad news and fear sell, and good news doesn’t. Where to start? Again, it would be imprudent to pretend that this question can be answered in a short story, for altering cultural beliefs requires extensive and deliberate critique. But I will give a suggested starting point, one among many possibilities. This story is little more than a reflection—and a personal one at that.

We are all working in this great institution, serving humanity. Our clients are the special kind, I will refer to them as such since nobody, and not even we want to be in a hospital bed.

Apart from discharging our duties as per the cascaded performance contract, how about we spread some warmth to our patients? By making sure that whatever questions the visitors may raise, then as an officer, you will be able to answer and if not, inform the client of the best responder.

It is about going the extra mile. This will make the visitor/patient calm, reduce their anxiety, and in so doing restore faith in getting well faster.

The next time you are attending to that patient/visitor make them smile. Beyond the duties of a busy nurse in a ward full of people who are wounded and need your total attention could you try to be kind to them? As we navigate through our social media pages, it is so refreshing seeing the positive feedback. But also very heartbreaking seeing bad reviews from our clients complaining of a rude officer. Let’s all strive to have zero complaints of rude behavior as KNH employees.

Good deeds need not take much time or cost any money. Evidence shows that helping others can also benefit our own mental health and well-being. For example, it can reduce stress as well as improve mood, self-esteem, and happiness we all want that don’t we?

It’s important to make sure we don’t overdo it. Think about ourselves too. If we find we are giving too much of ourselves or have gone beyond our means, it’s a good time to take a step back.

It is very easy to give away all of our energy, especially if we are finding things hard ourselves and want to focus on others. Leave enough time and space for you –kindness has to start with you.

Kindness should be built into business decisions, government policy, and other official systems in a way that supports everyone’s mental health and also reduces discrimination and inequality. That can start with individual commitments to showing kindness in our words and our actions.