Victor Meldrew

I currently work overseas, have done for 9 years now (I am UK citizen born and bred).

Whenever I speak about coming home to live I am often met with gasps of amazement

WHY!!!??? people will say 'why on earth would you want to come back?'
I have always thought that the biggest effect on your quality of life is your mindset.

There are also intangible things such as a sense of belonging, being around familiar people and places which can not be quantified.

Is it really that difficult to live in UK and have a positive mindset?

What things do there have to be in place (or what things should be avoided) to enable a positive mindset in the UK?

Wub

Positive mindset? Hmmmmm, with my lot (when I'm home, still doing the work thing overseas mind..), its a case of countering the negatives with positives - they're in a (some, not all of them) 'doom and gloom', mindset which reminds me of kids who want the latest gizmo - and mummy's said NO! So, they moan and groan, do a bit of projection on you and then, once they've had their whinge, all's well again....very odd, but there you are!

Count your blessings is what I always say - it usually shuts my whingers up...I find that if they have an audience, they'll go on and on. Present the voice of reason and usually,they'll back down.

Trick is not to take it (or them for that matter), seriously.

Sally Redux

Sections of the media have made it difficult.

Wub

This is at the heart of it.......sadly.

Gabgoeshome

We are returning to the UK after what will be 7 ish years in the US .

I believe one must leave to really, truly appreciate life in the UK lol

Of course everyone is different ,some choose never to come back and I am sure for good reasons ...

We are going to try a different part of the UK this time ,things will not be perfect but where is ?

Funnily enough ,most of the same problems we moved from are here too

The media can portray the UK in a bad light ,I have chosen to ignore it !

Bevm

The UK really needs a good PR firm! It's odd the way it is.

We have to split it up, as the four countries are different, but looking at England there isn't enough celebration of Olde Englishy stuff. People complain that it's silly, or it doesn't respect people who've moved here more recently (I'm Irish a couple of generations back, and I don't mind), but IMO we all benefit for a bit of over-the-top celebration of what we could call Merrie England.

The US don't actually live according to pilgrims and such, but it doesn't stop them all celebrating Thanksgiving in a very over-the-top way, and that helps their vision of themselves.

I was watching the BBC TV show on the high street, and the Edwardian one had the Empire Day parade, with the kids dressing up as Robin Hood, knights of old, etc etc. It wouldn't be Empire Day now, but if we had a Merrie England day, where we all went silly about the pageantry of English history, sang Jerusalem, recited This Sceptered Isle (okay, that's the whole thing) and the kids spent ages in school preparing for it, it might do us all a world of good.

Bev

Seneca21

Someone above got it right - it's the media. Nowhere else on Earth has such an awful, low-grade, hysterical, gutter press.

confusedenglishrose

I echo the sentiments about the press. It really surprises me the number of people whom seem to almost hang on to the press's every word. I have long thought that the geography and size of the UK has always had something to do with it. Almost a paternalism, which the last 14 years of government did nothing to dispel.

Coming back from the US I had long ago ditched watching all forms of TV news channels and newspapers were just pointless over there. So I have continued the same approach and although now I read them occassionally it is never with seriousness, almost like a dip in approach for amusement. I don't mean to sound supercilious, that is not what I mean. I just think you have to truly take the UK media with a 'pinch of salt.'

Then continue to live your life. Seems to be working so far here as well as over there when I was there.

Seneca21

+1. Even the broadsheets are going down hill.

Victor Meldrew

I have had some experience/training with Counselling.

One of the initial things that people suffering from depression are advised to do is stop watching and reading the news.

Wonder why?

Beedubya

That is one of the things Dr Wayne Dyer preaches. I haven't bought a daily newspaper in YEARS. I do very occassionally buy the UK weekly paper, but not so much now we have Internet news.

I haven't watched the news for a long time, though sometimes I will get snippets of it here and there........

SO what he says is.......there is nothing wrong with being aware of current affairs, but do you really need your face shoved in it 24/7?? (my words )

It's like if there is a disaster or a terrible event, when we were kids they must have just told you the news, now you have a whole day of programmes on every channel on the TV and the papers are full of "eyewitness accounts" and graphic photo's.

You know my grand-daughter is scared of tsunami's and thinks one is going to hit them any day now and sweep them all away!! Tsunami's!! I didn't even know what one was at the age of 14 and know little more now and don't want to know. She is now not allowed to watch these kind of "sensationalised" programmes.

Pollyana

Tis good to be aware of the tsunami risk though, depending on where you live. As technology develops to give better early warning systems people need to know how to react to the warnings - eg don't go to the beach to see the "big waves". Doesn't need to be sensationalised though, just facts, like awareness of bushfires or cyclones.

Beedubya

They live in Wollongong Polly

But you are right there is nothing wrong with knowing the facts but you don't need to have it rammed down your throat so much so that kids are having nightmares!!

I don't know whatever happened to common sense it got lost somewhere along the way .......people going to see the big waves or the scary bushfires.......

I get more like Grumpy Old Women every day.

quoll

LOL B, dont you know that the Gong is right in line for the Biggie tsunami when NZ goes under? I hear it is going to wash right up to the top of the Clyde so anything lower than that is cactus!

However, yes, reading the news is bad for your health!!!

Beedubya

Plus the papers are full of rubbish, it's all sport and ads anyway!!

How are you now you are back downunder?