A little gift for you …click here for a free download of 12 minutes of calm
How about doing one kind thing a day this week?
One kind thing every day for someone else and also one for yourself!
Of course you don’t have to limit it to just one kind thing! Set yourself a kindness challenge. It doesn’t have to cost you a penny … simply a smile can help someone … a kind word to a passer-by … a phone call to someone you know is lonely
Leave a small bunch of flowers on someone’s doorstep
Give a single rose from your garden to someone who doesn’t have a garden
Give something to a food bank
Offer to get or do something for a neighbour … or just chat at a safe distance!
Create a ‘Kindness Quiz’ within your family and friends group … Give points for the most original idea and … Can be done at home or online and, as we all know, … Points make prizes!
Do you have a skill you can teach someone else?
My husband taught his sister to use facetime which, as a self-confessed technophobe, she had never been able to master … She absolutely loved it! And now is all set to chat with her nephew in Hong Kong!
A friend of mine is having Italian conversation lessons given by a friend of hers … maybe you speak a second language? If it’s on the school curriculum, you could help kids currently off school with their conversational skills
Ideas ‘borrowed’ from kind friends and family
Text someone you haven’t spoken to in a while to show you’re thinking of them
Send old photos around to rekindle some nice memories
Smile and say thanks to people who make an effort with social distance when out and about
Ask how retail workers are doing – and really listen to their answer. Often they seem surprised and happy to be paid attention to as ‘humans’!
Recognise that everyone might be a little short-tempered because of Corona stress and Lockdown and don’t take it personally if they are!
Be nice to delivery drivers and postmen who are worked off their feet at the moment. Let them vent – at a safe distance – about their problems!
If you live in flats, deliver letters and parcels left in communal areas to the doorstep of each flat … particularly helpful if parcels are heavy and you are stronger than your neighbour!
Organise a ‘Desert Island discs and favourite book’ evening. Can be done within your household or an online get-together
My grand-daughters came up with these suggestions:
My 12 year old twin grand-daughters sent me ‘old fashioned real letters’ out of the blue …What a lovely surprise and they thought of it themselves!
Leave a goody bag for people to find (Leave a note to explain that you have ‘sanitised it first of course)
Give random compliments
Give a little unexpected gift
Make breakfast or lunch for others in the family
Help out without being asked / Tidy up / Clean / Hoover / Wash up / Empty dishwasher
Be kind to yourself
If you really find that you are feeling so down you can’t bring yourself to something for someone else, please do something kind for yourself instead
Be kind to yourself by not feeling bad about feeling bad while in lockdown!
Be lazy if you feel like it … but preferably not every day!
Remember that there are people who will listen!
Listening line staff will let you talk through your feelings and experiences without judging you or telling you what to do. Many listening services let you talk for as long as you need. Here are just a few … GOOGLE for more!
www.samaritans.org Tel: 116 123. Email: jo@samaritans.org. A safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you
SANEline. If you’re experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day)
The Mix. If you’re under 25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (Sunday-Friday 2pm–11pm), request support by email using this form on The Mix website or use their crisis text messenger service
Papyrus HOPELINEUK. If you’re under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (weekdays 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–10pm), email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). If you identify as male, you can call the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) or use their webchat service
Switchboard. If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+
Helplines Partnership. For more options, visit the Helplines Partnership website for a directory of UK helplines
Mind’s Infoline can also help you find services that can support you. If you’re outside the UK, the Befrienders Worldwide
website has a tool to search by country for emotional support helplines around the world
Nightline. If you’re a student, you can look on the Nightline website to see if your university or college offers a night-time listening service. Nightline phone operators are all students too
Many organisations offer support in other ways – Check out whether you can chat via emails, text messages or web chat
