6 ways to brighten the next 6 weeks

What?! Whilst it may sound counter intuitive, allowing yourself the opportunity to embrace negative emotions or sadness is healthy. So rather than wallpaper over the cracks with a cheerful pattern, take a day or two, watch a sad film, have a cry, rant to your friends on the phone, and you’ll be better for it afterwards.

For a family member, for a friend, or for a total stranger. Whether it’s sending them something in the post, gifting something to someone at the supermarket checkout, or helping someone with something that’s important to them. It doesn’t have to cost the earth, a letter, a drawing, helping with a CV or teaching their kids on Zoom so they can have a little break.
Whether or not you believe in karma, seeing how small acts of kindness can bring joy to others will make the world feel a little more joyful for you too.

Nobody is around, so do something you loved as a child. Build something from Lego, make some salt dough, play a game, build a snowman, do some craft, paint a picture, bake fairy cakes. Whilst you may do some of this with your own children, if you have them, your focus will have been on their enjoyment. So have a little play of your own and remind yourself why sometimes it can be fun to have nowhere to be.

Fed up of looking at the same four walls? Change them! For a great value way to update your home, a lick of paint can work wonders. Plus, with the right preparation can be a great task for children to get involved in too.

Yes this was all the rage in Lockdown 1.0. Some people became a ‘new them’ and some of us worked more than ever, barely kept our head above water, or just watched Netflix. But 9 months have passed since the first lockdown, the weather isn’t so great, and there may be things on your radar that weren’t even in your orbit last year.
Maybe you’ve realised your job isn’t all that and you’re ready for a change in career? Maybe you fancy a side-line? Or maybe you just want to try something you’ve not done before? Did you know that over-50s now make up almost half of the UK’s self-employed workforce? It’s never too late!

Forget banana bread, why not try stop motion animation? Look into the art of food presentation for your next dinner party? Have a go at coding? With so more on offer than ever, a new passion is worth exploring.