Your weekly dose of mental sunshine...

I trust you are enjoying your weekly dose of mental sunshine.

My aim is to brighten up your week and encourage a little happiness to your life, and the lives of others. And, If you like what you’ve read, why not forward this on to a friend to brighten their day too?

This week is all about Giving.

To help someone else without expecting anything in return.

Why? Because it’s the right thing to do

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:

Buy a coffee for a homeless person
Let someone out in front of you when queueing in traffic
Give someone a call that you haven’t spoken to in a while

You see, it doesn’t need to be something really big. A tiny gesture of kindness to another human being can have a really positive effect on both of you.

Obviously, if you help someone else they will feel good about it - but actually, it can make you feel really good too.

Try it out and see how it makes you feel.

By helping someone else, you also help to build connection with the world around you - and connection is something we’ve all been missing in the last year or so.

And you never know how much your small gesture could help someone else.

£3 for a coffee might not be a big deal for you, it might however be the only hot drink - and perhaps the only human contact, they have today.

Letting someone out in front of you in traffic adds seconds to your day, but the person you let in might be in more of an urgent rush than you.

Giving someone a call that you have not been in contact with for a while just to say hello can mean a lot. There’s a reason why you have chosen this person to call which may not be obvious to you now. However, the call will reveal all.

One thing we've been giving on a weekly basis since the pandemic started is some time to cook for a local charity that helps the homeless and vulnerable. It only takes about 2 to 3 hours to cook a main meal for 15 people. And the reward of knowing it’s made a difference is all we need.