We’re an eclectic bunch at team Razor.

Each month, we’ll share with the world a flavour of what’s caught our attention and influenced our thinking and conversations in the office.

Chloë B
This month, I’ve been thinking mostly about nothing. In other words, meditation. I used to find meditating difficult and, more often than not, ended up falling asleep while trying. Our co-working space offers weekly classes and I’ve recently been taking half an hour at a time away from my computer to give myself some peace and to recharge my batteries. So far, I haven’t fallen asleep. But I took one of the Razors with me to a session and he pretty much snored loudly all the way through. (He’s a new dad though so we’ll let him off.)

Chloë F
My two top picks this month are immersive viewing experiences, and both come courtesy of Netflix. 

The first is Shtisel. The two-season (so far!) series follows a Haredi family living in an ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood of Jerusalem. I’m not Jewish, but where I live isn’t far from Stamford Hill and I’ve always been fascinated by its culture and community. I’ve become so used to TV dramas full of fire and fury, sex and death; what I loved about Shtisel is that it’s none of those things really. It’s about a family, a culture, and a set of beliefs. It’s about a world very, very far from my own. It made me think hard about the tug of faith vs. selfish, individual desires. It swallowed me up. 

My other pick is the mobster epic, The Irishman by Martin Scorsese. I invested in the big screen view for this one even though it’s on Netflix. 3½ hours is not to be sniffed at – or snoozed through! It follows many decades of the lives of various mobsters and it’s been praised (and sniggered at) for the astonishing ageing and de-ageing of the stars (Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and a bunch of others).

Both of these viewings have been lengthy, committed and all the more enriching because of it. Beautiful

Gem
I went to a podcast recording at Kings Place* a few weeks ago. Beverley Knight was the guest of honour and being a fan, I jumped at the chance to see her in an intimate setting. I’ve seen her in concert a few times and, though she has many of her own songs, I especially enjoy listening to her perform tracks by artists that mean a great deal to her. During this particular chat, BK talked about two of her inspirations, Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan, before introducing some of their lesser-known songs. I went with a friend one rainy Monday evening and it was one of the most relaxing nights out (in) I’ve ever had.

*Do sign up to the Kings Place mailing list. They put on some brilliant stuff. For just a tenner, I once got to watch David Baddiel try out some work-in-progress slides for one of his stand-up shows. BARGAIN.

Jill
I’ve just finished reading Nervous States: How Feeling Took Over the World by William Davies. It’s an exploration of why feelings can dominate over facts (hello, Brexit!), and charts the reasons why people are far less likely to believe experts and trust facts. Not only is it a timely read (seeing as we’re in the throes of a General Election where facts often seem to be taking a back seat) but, from a research perspective, it reminds me of the importance of understanding both the what (quant) and the feeling behind it (qual).

Lindsay
I’ve been watching Twin Peaks, the 90s TV series about murder in a small – and sometimes very odd – town. It’s quirky, clever and intriguing, which is good because the second series is 22 episodes long! They released a third series a few years ago so I’ll be moving onto that as soon as I’ve finished binge-watching series two!

Steve
As a protein obsessed fitness fanatic, The Game Changers, rocked my world this week. It puts forward convincing arguments for a fully plant-based diet. So convincing in fact that I’m seriously considering a month’s NO MEAT and/or DAIRY trial.

If I do this it would mean saying hello to soya, beans, mycoprotein and (more) veg. And goodbye to chicken, fish and steak. I’d also have to kick my beloved whey protein powder in favour of a plant-based alternative.

Hmmm… When I say ‘I’m seriously considering…’

When I began university, I was your typical student; eager to make friends, anxious to do my best in a new environment, and a little stressed about the workload (though not so much that I didn’t online shop and binge-watch Netflix for hours only to regret it later!). But the change of environment, my new living dynamic, the coursework deadlines – and the general stress of being at uni – turned out to be more than I could handle.

Mental health is regularly in the news these days and, because of my personal experiences, I have a particular interest in student mental health. I wanted to explore student experiences in more depth so, as part of my internship here at Razor, I interviewed fourteen students from a number of universities around the UK. What soon became clear is that universities could be doing so much more to support student mental health.

First year blues
The time has finally come. You have your own space and no parents around telling you to wash your dishes and clean your room. You have so much freedom! But that’s exactly it … it’s just you. Yes, the independence is empowering and exciting – but being surrounded by strangers can also be really daunting. Some people tend to retreat from situations that make them feel uncomfortable. Most of the students I spoke to had felt homesick, isolated and overwhelmed by their new living dynamic during their first year. They were expecting freshers’ week to be the best of their lives but, in reality, it was the complete opposite! I get that; it’s tiring, you’re skint, you’re usually away from home and you’re convinced that you must socialise in order to be a ‘real’ student.

“People can feel lonely and isolated. There could be more social opportunities.”

• How to help: To improve their experience, students suggested having activities offered to them by their academic departments or halls to help them bond with their flat/course mates, rather than being left to organise things for themselves. Physical exercise, yoga and meditation could also be at the forefront to help promote more social interaction along with a healthier lifestyle.
  
  

An intense workload
I remember my first ever deadline. I wanted to cry <insert Kim Kardashian crying emoji> and put my head through a wall because I felt so tense. The intensity and depth of my degree was not at all what I was expecting and many of the students I spoke to confirmed that I wasn’t alone in feeling that way. We didn’t know about any well-being services that our university offered. It wasn’t mentioned at the start of the year, during freshers’ week, or exam periods. Finding services to help was like trying to find the culprit who stole your milk – impossible. Students, (especially final year) prioritised revision over their mental well-being, with some being in the library for 14 hours a day! But the most universities did for students was to advertise a number for Nightline, which for many felt too distant rather than a personal approach.

“The workload is intense, especially in your third year. It could cause someone’s mental health to deteriorate. Going from college to first year of uni is a big jump which explains why there’s such a high dropout rate.”

• How to help: Students would benefit from regular support text messages and email updates, as well as reminders before and after lectures, seminars and examinations. Doing this would reinforce the support services and be highly impactful.

Social stigma
Unfortunately, there’s still a big stigma attached to mental health – especially with males. It saddens me that there are some who won’t seek support because it’s still seen as a sign of weakness; not to mention the self-stigma of feeling a burden to others. Despite there being a high suicide rate amongst male students, people don’t want to admit there’s something seriously wrong. Universities could actively normalise mental health by having regular workshops and making announcements to encourage students to speak out. This would certainly bring the idea of what it means to be a ‘man’ out of the Stone Age and into the present day.  

“People don’t associate men with crying and expressing how they feel. You can’t show anything otherwise it’s a sign of weakness. But when I come home the tears would flow like a tap.”

• How to help: A mental health platform, on the same awareness scale as UCAS, for all students to help educate them about coping and normalising their mental health.
  
  

A long wait
I remember trying out the support services during my third year because my dissertation was driving me insane. The experience felt like an episode of Friends in reverse where nobody’s there for you! There was an awkward middle-aged man staring at me repeatedly asking “so what’s wrong?” for an hour. It was as awkward as kissing with braces or saying goodbye to someone only to end up walking in the same direction as them. I waited three weeks … for this?! Other students also felt the services offered were inadequate. Either the counsellor wasn’t emotionally available, or they had other priorities. Students were also unaware that they could ask for a female counsellor.

“My uni has the money but they don’t want to spend it on mental health which feels ridiculous. Students know there aren’t enough counsellors and the long waiting time puts them off from trying to get help.”

• How to help: Students suggested that universities could provide a variation of counsellors of different genders and backgrounds. Most importantly, someone who’s kind, willing to listen, and concentrates on emotions. A helpful tip is knowing you don’t need to be registered with a GP in order to access mental health services at university!

There’s a clear need for universities to be doing more and there are plenty of opportunities to do so. I recommend checking out Time to Change; a wonderful and growing movement to change how we think about mental health. The website includes personal stories, videos and resources to help you, or anyone you know, with mental health troubles.

If you know anyone struggling, or in distress, simply be there for them and encourage them to talk just by asking how they are. It doesn’t have to be a lot but showing them you’re in their corner will make a world of difference.

It’s time to change!

I’d been hunting quite some time for my next Netflix binge. So, when the ‘recommended for you’ email hit my inbox last month, I rushed to find out what was on offer.

Netflix suggested that Skins would be the show for me…and they were right! It’s boozy, sweary, and offers the kind of escapism that I love.

I never watched Skins when it was originally broadcast (waaaay back in 2007). But, as a Year 9 girl, I do remember hearing others talk about the parties, drugs, and lusting over Effy and Cook.

First season’s done and, so far, the flashback to 12 years ago has made me scream with laughter. I’ve also observed several things:

• Firstly, a world without proper smartphones. I enjoyed slipping back to a time when we weren’t constantly glued to our phones. In one of the last episodes I watched, Tony had EIGHT contacts on his phone. He also had a rubbish camera and probably Snake, but that was it. Spending less time on your phone meant more hanging out with your mates in real life rather than wasting hours scrolling through apps.
  
  
• A world without proper smartphones also meant a world without 24-hour social media. No selfie-taking, no staged images of laughter, and no comparing lives with others. What you see is what you get; you know who these characters are and it’s so refreshing to see their good and bad sides on display without a filter in sight.
  
  
• The light humour blanketing some pretty hard-hitting issues. Skins covers a range of teenage struggles and, in the first season alone, I’ve already watched episodes covering sexuality, anorexia, drug use and overdosing. The funny thing is that every time I hold my breath waiting for something bad to happen…it’s fine! It’s all just a laugh and everything seems to work out okay in the end. It’s all part of the charm of Skins that makes it so easy to binge-watch.
  
  
• Attitudes towards mental health. At this early stage, I can only comment on Cassie’s eating disorder so far. It’s another topic that seems to be covered in a jokey manner but I’m not sure this storyline would be portrayed in the same way in the present day. The show successfully shed light on such a sensitive topic at the time – but there’s been cultural shift in attitudes towards mental health since then and shows like 13 Reasons Why received much criticism for ‘glorifying’ similar issues.
  
  
• Finally, Skins is known for promoting a hedonistic teen culture. It didn’t shy away from topics like booze, sex, drugs and raves, even for the underaged. This is a big contrast to the clean-living activist image that we see promoted by Gen Z today.

But that’s just the first season. I have six more to go and I can’t wait!

We’re an eclectic bunch at team Razor.

Each month, we’ll share with the world a flavour of what’s caught our attention and influenced our thinking and conversations in the office.

Chloë F
I’ve just finished a book called The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold. Each chapter is a biography of each of his five victims. Crucially, she puts the flesh back on their bones. Her premise is that they’ve been undermined and disrespected by the passage of history which has focused on the mystery of the Ripper and labelled his victims as merely sex workers (in fact, only two of them were). The picture she paints of the squalid, desperate lives of these women is fascinating. And of course, truly tragic.

Gem
There’s something so satisfying about an old item of clothing or a piece of furniture being given a new lease of life; even more so now that waste reduction is such a hot topic. Sadly, I don’t have a shed at home to potter away in but I’m making more of an effort to repair or repurpose smaller items around my flat. One of the happiest hashtags I follow on Instagram is #TheRepairShop and, if you’ve ever watched the TV show, you’ll understand why I find it so heart-warming. I could wax lyrical about this programme but I’d encourage you to read this recent Guardian article about it instead. If you’ve never watched an episode, do give it a try. It’s wonderful.

Jill
It’s been back to school for me, this September, to (re)learn German at CityLit. I let my near-fluency slide over the last *ahem* years but it’s all slowly coming back to me thanks to a brilliant tutor. CityLit has such a great adult education curriculum; I learned to sew there and briefly dabbled in a spot of Russian. I can’t recommend going back to school at CityLit highly enough!

Kate
I know I’m late to the party but I was totally blown away watching Hamilton a few weeks ago and I’ve been chewing everyone’s ears off about it since! As a theatre lover, who wouldn’t usually opt for a musical, I was sceptical; but Hamilton is hands down the best show I’ve ever seen! I love how surprising, witty and clever it is and I truly admire Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ability to bring a (potentially dull) historical story to the stage in such a sensational way. I’ve still got the soundtrack on repeat!

Kenny
Inspired by our recent Razor VR experience in East London, I’ve become engrossed in the hypothesis that we’re living in a simulated reality. Elon Musk is probably the most highbrow believer and puts our chances of living in ‘base reality’ as one in a billion. According to this hypothesis, it’s far more probable that we’re living in a simulation. This idea has blown my mind!

Lindsay
We’ve turned to board games at home in a bid to watch less TV. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders is a big hit and proving to be quite addictive. We’re really enjoying putting on different character accents and solving crimes! (Editor’s note: Pleeease bring this game into the office, Lindsay!)

Nikisha
I’m interested in how food and drinks can be modified to help benefit the environment. Soy products have been on the rise in recent times, but we now have a tastier game changer…the love of my life; chocolate! Swiss chocolatier, Barry Callebaut, unveiled a new recipe that includes the entire cocoa fruit (cacao) as opposed to just the beans. Typically, 70% of the fruit is wasted during the chocolate-making process and, as we seek lower sugar content and less harm to the environment, this seems like the perfect solution – one that could also enhance juices, smoothies, deserts and bakery products. I really hope this trend catches on!

We’re an eclectic bunch at team Razor.

Each month, we’ll share with the world a flavour of what’s caught our attention and influenced our thinking and conversations in the office.

Chloë B
I’ve found Channel 4’s Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain fascinating. This three-part documentary explores her rise to fame as one of the first big reality stars ‘famous for being famous’ and how she carved out her career in the pre-social media age. It’s shocking, and sometimes uncomfortable, viewing but definitely worth the watch.
Click here for more info.

Chloë F
I, too, have been gripped by Channel 4’s Jade Goody series, not just because Chloe B’s been watching it. I was actually alive when Jade Goody was doing her thing; it was the last series I’d watched of Big Brother. I remember everything unfold in real time – horribly, meanly, tragically. I wept my way through the first episode in this series and had to fast-forward some of the second (the bullying and shouting was just too ugly). I’m steeling myself for the third episode because we all know how it ends. It’s fascinating, even beyond ‘just Jade’. It’s reminding me of a pre-social media time when we had to find other ways to follow obsessions. It’s reminded me how willingly manipulated we are by the media sources we trust (and love). It’s reminded me how much reality TV was once a delicious, thrilling, crazy adventure. I feel lucky that I was around for its infancy. I don’t know how I feel about it being all grown up. And I feel very, very sad about Jade.
Click here for more info.

Gem
Like millions of people, I struggle to remember a time before Brexit and the current US president dominating the daily news. As a result, I find it difficult to keep myself informed on what’s going on outside of that bubble because it means having to sift through acres of the same old rubbish before getting anywhere. Enter: The Week Unwrapped; a weekly half-hour podcast from Olly Mann, along with writers from The Week magazine, discussing global news stories passing under the radar. The topics might not be making the headlines but they’re likely to have repercussions for all our lives. (See: a) reliability of mobile phone data in court cases or b) facial recognition technology as examples.)  
Click here for more info.

Jill
August has been all about balls, bails and Ben (Stokes). Cricket has even knocked politics down my list of things to fret about. Now, if we can just get Stokes working on Brexit…
Click here for more info.

Kenny
This month I have been blown away by a blog site I’ve found called Farnam Street and its accompanying podcast, The Knowledge Project. I love nothing more than learning about new ways of thinking and this resource is a treasure cove of different mental models and insights more effective decision making. I’ve already pre-ordered the book which will be on its way to me in October!
Click here for more info.

Lindsay
Never would I have thought that one of my favourite shows would be about American football! However, Last Chance U is about much more than that. Each season it follows a community college team and their coach as they battle through each game to try and win the championship. It’s not a simple process because many of the players have had a difficult start in life and are struggling to overcome their own misgivings; that and the coaches are often battling with their own ego. It’s fascinating! You really feel for some of the players when things go wrong but get so excited when people make amazing plays on the field (seriously, I get on my feet and cheer at the TV!). I still have some favourites from season one who got signed and it warms my heart that they are doing well. What I can’t handle though, is that very few will ever make it to the NFL and, through chasing their dream, they’re putting their own health at risk.
Click here for more info.

Nikisha
At a time of peak climate crisis, I’ve been looking into what various companies and workplaces are doing to reduce their carbon footprint and give back to the world. ASOS’s corporate responsibility programme really struck me. Some of its projects include plastic free canteens, recyclable packaging, foundation funds in India and delivering packages using 100% electric vans. Their wider efforts to minimise environmental impact and giving back to the wider community is something I believe more companies should adopt. By implementing this they expect to reduce their carbon emissions in central London by 62% annually! It’s inspired me to use alternative methods in daily life to reduce my own carbon footprint.
Click here for more info.

Steve
I’ve been learning just how incredible and important virtual reality technology is rapidly becoming. Recent articles about the latest versions of Oculus Rift reveal how staggeringly absorbing and realistic the experience is. The applications for this technology are truly extensive, (and somewhat frightening!). Razor needs to get on board with this asap.
Click here for more info.

***

I’ve always been in awe of my parent friends, always busy juggling their work and family lives. Some of them are super organised and do their best to stick to a schedule. Others are more laid back and have a more ‘reactive’ approach to whatever life throws at them. Whatever their method, I admire them all.

And, as I watch most of them counting down the minutes to their offspring being handed back to their hardworking teachers (and while I’m silently dreading the thought of my buses and trains being crammed with the little darlings from next week), I’ve had my eyes fully opened to the preparation going on behind the scenes.

In my clueless mind, back-to-school prep simply meant fresh pencil cases, shoes, bag, and a uniform that can mostly be bought from the major supermarkets. (Should add here that I’m not oblivious to the facts that: a) this list alone is too long for many families in the UK and b) that these costs seriously add up if you have more than one child to cater for.) Note: Reading this back, I realise I’ve not even included a coat in the above list. Like I say, I am CLUELESS. 

What I also hadn’t considered was the rising tech costs to be added to the list. Turns out, a smartphone here, a tablet there, and a laptop over there…has helped make back-to-school spending the third biggest retail spending event after Christmas and Black Friday. Yikes. 

Mintel valued the B-t-S market at £1.16 billion in 2018, an increase of 36% on the previous year’s £855million. Whether we’ll reach those dizzy heights in 2019 remains to be seen; but there are few things to consider rather than simply attributing any gains to forking out loads of money on expensive phones etc.

Pressure (brands)
There will always a place for brands alongside the traditional uniform. And parents will always feel a certain pressure to fork out for the ‘right’ trainers, coats, bags and so on.

Pressure (ethical)
There’s now a bigger spotlight on sustainability meaning that so-called ‘fast fashion’ uniform items bought from the discounters are being overlooked in favour of quality products that will last longer.

Price
There’s a lot of competition from discounters constantly trying to pull in shoppers unable to spend as much on higher quality/longer lasting items.

Convenience and value
Whether it’s buying everything under one roof or from the same website, the less ‘faff’ involved the better. This is why supermarkets do so well at this time of year – and why online retailers will come up with all kinds of incentives (free shipping/returns/gifts) to encourage parents to shop for discounted items at their leisure.

Which brings us to the ‘when’…

In the ‘smug’ corner, are my friends ‘T’ and ‘S’ who bought their kids’ uniforms etc. in July so that ‘it’s all done and we won’t have to think about it until September’.

Meanwhile, erring on the side of caution, are my friends ‘J & N’ whose kids go back to school on Tuesday. They’ve been ‘waiting to see how much they grow over the summer before buying anything’… 

Parents, I salute you.