How can we be kinder?

Hey guys and welcome back to another blog. It’s a bit of a random one today, but it’s something that I thought would bring a bit of positivity to the week. Now last year, as a world we went through the pandemic and it’s had a massive effect on us all. We have survived the worst of it, yet it still feels like as a nation we are struggling. As a world over the past couple of years, I feel we have been experiencing a mental health crisis and to me this is only getting worse. Now we can’t fix this overnight, but there are small ways that we can inject our positivity and kindness into society to help those on a daily basis And that’s what I wanted to share with you today. How can we be kinder?

1). Buy from small businesses– Buying from small businesses has more than one benefit, for example, it helps an individual to build their business and to help finance their life. Having your own business means taking a risk…someone has done that, and they need your support. Remember that that small item you bought from them payed for their child’s lunch today. I’ve found that since buying from small businesses, my money is going somewhere worthwhile and to be honest I feel like the product’s I am buying are a lot better too. Packaging is more personal and customer service is on a friendly one to one basis. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s the perfect time for you to start buying from small businesses and making someone’s day.

2). Say HI– This is so simple yet so important. When walking down the street or walking past someone in a supermarket, I think it’s really important that you make sure to smile or say hi. We Never quite know what someone is going through that day, and if saying hi offers some comfort and hope for someone, then that means everything. What you also may not realise is that that individual may not have spoke to anyone for the past week. They may be lonely and maybe all they want is someone to say hi to them and acknowledge their presence. Make someone’s day tomorrow by simply saying hi.

3). Don’t just give at Christmas, give all the time- I don’t mean go buying extravagant gifts all year round…but if you know someone is going through a tough time, why not get them a card, drop them a nice text message or pop round with a bunch of flowers? It’s never the big gifts that people remember, it’s the small unexpected gifts. It’s not the ones that they asked for, it’s the ones that are thoughtful, and it’s the gifts that come at the time they most need it. So for the price of 49p and about 5 minutes to write a thoughtful message, why not send a card to your friend today?

4). Give compliments- And by this I don’t mean forced compliments, but if you genuinely think that someone looks nice or you like what they’re wearing, tell them! I’ve had days where I felt so unconfident and rubbish and an unexpected compliment has gone such a long way. Imagine if a few words could make someone’s day. You really do have the power to make someone feel good again.

5). Be patient- If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that we need to be patient. The world has slowed down and therefore so should we. If you go to a restaurant and something is out of stock, don’t be rude about it, just accept it and move on. There are currently shortages everywhere and people are struggling to find staff.

If you ask someone to do a job for you and they’re taking a little longer than you’d like, don’t get angry with them, you don’t know what they are going through right now. It might have taken them everything to just get out of bed this morning. I know it can be annoying sometimes waiting for things or queuing, but don’t be mad about it, because that only makes the situation worse. Remember that we are all in this together and that at the end of the day…we are only human. Be patient and be kind.

6). Leave reviews- This is really important, especially when buying from small businesses. People need your feedback to create their empire. The kindest thing that you can do for a business is to let people know how good their products are and that you should visit them too. It might only take you a couple of minutes, but it can go such a long way for an individual with a business. This also goes for bad reviews too. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is let everyone know about what not to buy as well. Don’t let someone go and waste their money on something that you know was no good. If there really was something wrong with the product, leave a review and let people know. But also remember to do this in the kindest way possible. Reviews are the one thing that lead me to finally purchasing something. If I get to see a real photo of what someone bought, it always leads me to then feel I can buy it too. So remember what a positive 5 minute review can do for a business.

I guess what I’m trying to say today is let’s spread some Christmas cheer before it’s even Christmas. Be kind, let people know you are happy they are here with you, and go that little extra mile for someone. We are all struggling in our own ways and we don’t get things right all the time, but what’s important is that we do try to inject a little bit of kindness on a day to day basis. We’re all in this together and I think it’s important that we remember that. So walk down the street with a smile on your face, leave a good review on TripAdvisor, and go knock on the door of your friend who is struggling today. Let them know that you are there for them, and let them know that they are doing amazing. And always remember that no matter what…YOU ARE AMAZING TOO!

Thanks for reading guys, have a great week!🤍