Soul and Communication: A Reflection on Contemplation

Participant’s reflection on Communication Skills training 2020 batch 3
By Gilang Herdyan S

In February 2018, for the first time I went to a psychologist after my efforts to gather inner courage. In short, after I had several consultations, I was diagnosed with psychosomatic symptoms. I did not even memorize the correct spelling, did not understand all the doctor's articles about the symptoms that were displayed on my browser page. What I understand, whatever burden on my mind, will have implications to the body's reaction. I experienced such dizziness, nausea, cold sweat, heat to (sorry) vomiting. As an ordinary person, various rejection reactions appeared at that time. I began to connect to regressive things as a result of my stress, including the most basic needs; communication. "No wonder for me, all this time the way I say is ugly, lots of missing words, verbal grafitti, ae ..., ae ..."

"In my head I want to say A, but Z comes out. What a sad thing!"

Presentations are almost every day during my lecture, and  I stand in front of the class, but it doesn’t match with my current condition. I find that many others wants to talk, and they just go talking, but it is really a problem for me! I must take few hours before, to prepare my condition to be ready. I knew one thing that communication as 'just talking' with communication as a skill is different. Everyone may ‘just talk' to fulfill their communication needs, ‘Gossipmongers’, one of them. However, the communication skills which is based on specific goals, have no instant process. But everyone can learn it. If he wants to!

The communication skills for specific purposes, such as public speaking that meets the need of professional relation should be our consideration. The website of young professional self-development, Glints Indonesia, put good communication skills aspect in rank two and public speaking skills in rank seven in the ten abilities that must be owned by young professionals. By knowing the importance of this ability, building awareness of willingness to learn, to be trained through a variety of accessible platforms, should not be a longer reason for ‘not being able to talk.’

Talking about the platform, during this pandemic, a variety of digital learning platforms are accessible. I took part in some of them to fill my free time including Communication Skills training from Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta. A good opportunity during a pandemic, the intensity of communicating directly is very limited. No doubt, our ability to communicate unconsciously will also downgrade. I am grateful to take this mentoring. The material provided was also a two-way discussion method. We can share opinions, exchange input with mentors. Even on this occasion, I can give my ideas regarding mental health start from issue that I experienced myself, especially during a pandemic. However, I have learned to respect when the issue related my life can be used for the dissemination, which can be seen on the link
https://youtu.be/ltJH9EnJTYc

Then, besides a mental health survivor and communication learner, in this mentoring, the message implied that learning communication is not limited as formal scientific knowledge. Responding the need for self-development leads  persons to be dynamically equipped and trained with supporting skills. It is not only in the formal sphere, even in grassroot works and the community respond this interest even become a place of learning. An appreciation goes to Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta for growing such awareness. The similar appreciation is for all place where messages of goodness can be easily accessed including the opportunity to strengthen each other through mental health messages that belong to my concern. Improving knowledge about communication that can be applied to all life aspects.

It is time, the communication awareness is not calculated just in scientific terms, but communication itself includes as an expertise in negotiation, public speaking, discussion, dynamics which should be a culture that is always dynamic. Even through communication individual can develop the image. All have access to learn. (Gilang Herdyan S).

*) Gilang Herdyan Prastomo Suseno, is a Public Relations student at UPN Veteran Yogyakarta, from Boyolali, Central Java, active in Stube-HEMAT and Young Interfaith Peacemaker Community (YIPC).