W L
WELLBEING
HOW DIFFERENT HAS THIS YEAR BEEN FOR EVERYONE ?
By Alison Quinn
I do love this time of year , as the nights draw in and the weather gets colder and darker I love to draw the curtains , light a fire and snuggle down against the winter brewing outside , we think of crisp autumn leaves , hot chocolate , sumptuous roast dinners , but this year it got me thinking of how it can have a negative impact for some people , more so with all that has gone on in the world since March ...
People coming inside , closing doors , not venturing out when the weather is bad can cause feelings of loneliness for many , and isolation of a whole different meaning that any other previous years . Not seeing friends and family members that we would normally , we need to find ways to stay connected .
As a country we are becoming increasingly crippled by a loneliness epidemic and now , more than ever we need to do something about it . Mental health is very much a topic on everyone ’ s lips and having someone to talk to when you are feeling lonely or alone can help in so many ways . I think now more than ever we need to consider the greatest attribute someone can have and to me that would be kindness . In a world where so much of our lives is about education , career , looks , wealth , health , property , possessions I think we overlook the most simple pleasures .
kindness 1 . the quality of being friendly , generous , and considerate .
What does kindness mean to you ? Could it be letting someone in front of you in the supermarket queue when they only have a few items , or sending an unexpected gift of flowers or a favourite chocolate bar to a friend . What we have to realise is kindness doesn ' t have to cost a thing . Saying hello to people you meet as you go about your day , even though we are wearing facial coverings we can still smile ! We can ' t know what people are going through in their lives , even when it ' s not appreciated by others it makes us feel better about ourselves , did you know that being kind makes us happier and more satisfied with life ... when we do something for someone else we feel good , on a chemical level , we feel better due to raised levels of the brains
natural feel good chemicals called endogenous opioids ( natural versions of pain killers like morphine ) they elevate the levels of dopamine in the brain so we get a natural high and this is the kind of high we need to promote .
Does it come naturally or do you have to think about it ? Being kind is good for the heart , reduces blood pressure , improves our mood , slows ageing and helps reduce the effects of stress , I think we could all do with some more of that . Also the more you repeat a thought or behaviour the more likely they are to come naturally to you in future .
Are people around you kind ? Do your family , friends and colleagues appreciate you ? Do you appreciate them ? Where you can do little things for one another , teach your children to take part in chores and help around the home , helping them to become more independent and kinder to others themselves as they mature .
What could you do to be a kinder person ? Now this brought up a lot of discussion with a group of friends , my favourite were ‘ leaving a loving or funny note in your partners or children ’ s packed lunch ’ ‘ letting someone in front of you in traffic and actually smiling ’ ‘ give an honest compliment whenever you can ’ ‘ pass on much loved books to someone who will appreciate them as much as you ’ my favourites are also passing along clothes and household items to charities that can make use of them , supporting homeless charities with donations of clothes or food , are especially appreciated this time of year as the weather gets colder . Animal charities are always in need of donations of food , bedding or things they can sell in their charity shops too .
Regardless of what you think of as an act of kindness , please never stop doing them , even if people look down on you or disagree with you , judge you or make you feel bad about yourself , just keep on doing what you are doing ...
“ No act of kindness , no matter how small is ever wasted ” - Aesop
70 wirrallife . com