Small acts of kindness can go a long way in these times of social isolation. We are all in this together even though we are trying to maintain our distance of being 2 metres apart.
Helping others can be beneficial to our mental health in reducing stress, improving our emotional wellbeing and even in contributing to our own physical health.
Here are 6 suggestions of what you could do to help brighten up someone’s day.
- Arrange a cup of tea, slice of cake, or a biscuit and virtual catch up with someone you know
- Send someone you know a picture or video of a cute animal
- Send a motivational text to a friend who is struggling
- Arrange to watch a film or show at the same time as a friend and video call
- Reach out to call a friend, family member or neighbour who is experiencing loneliness or isolation
- Send a letter to a member of your family such as a grandparent or friend
Remember in these times that it’s also important to take care of yourself!
If you are struggling reach out to your family and friends. They can be a vital source of support when things are difficult and reaching out to people in our lives can be a huge factor in maintaining good mental health.
Open up to someone you can trust and who will be able to understand and empathise with what you are going through or experiencing. Sometimes it can feel like family are the last people you want to involve so it’s worth giving some thought to who you might approach or talk to.
There is always someone to help! You may feel stressed and alone but there is help available.
There are a number of online communities and services that you can access if you don’t feel comfortable talking to friends, family or your employer. Here are just a few links below:
- Guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus
- The NHS “Your Mind Plan” - Answer 5 Questions and the NHS will provide a plan tailored to help you with links to other useful resources and apps
- NHS Mental Health and Wellbeing - Advice and Guidance with links to support