Spread A Little Love This Winter

Among the seasonal cheer and chilly temperatures, winter is one of the busiest times of year for many of us. Whether it’s gift shopping or making time for friends, family and loved ones, there are plenty of things to keep us busy during the coldest months of the year. However, as we become increasingly pre-occupied and wrapped up in our own lives, finding time for one another can be a particularly difficult task.

Instead of focusing on the material aspect of winter and the festive season, we should do our best to get back in touch with the people who surround us each and every day. Care, kindness, compassion and generosity should all be integral at this time of year, which is why it is so important that you do what you can to welcome a little love back into both your life and the lives of others around you.

So, with that in mind, how can you go about welcoming some positivity and a greater level of care into your thoughts and actions? Here are some top tips which will hopefully provide the inspiration to get you started!

Kindness

It costs nothing to be kind to someone, and this is a trait that can easily be applied to many situations throughout life. Whether it’s a simple smile and a compliment or taking some time out of your day to be there for someone in their hour of need, once you begin to takea conscious effort to be kinder to people, it’s something that will then continue to grow on its own. Plus, even if you don’t believe in fate, once you begin to act nicer and consider how you treat people, it won’t be long before you too begin to reap the rewards of your own actions.

Charity

We all know that Christmas is a time for giving, but how many of us actually spare a thought for the many people who are in need around the world at this time of year? With plummeting temperatures and bad weather, winter brings a whole new host of difficult challenges for people to face, be it the homeless in our own cities or refugee families and orphans across the globe. 

Even if it’s just a handful of loose change in a charity collection box, an hour spent volunteering at your local food bank or donating what you can to an appeal for the Rohingya, even the smallest acts can go a long way towards helping someone in need.

Love

Of course, we all have people who are close to us and those we appreciate and care for no matter what. Whether it’s your family or a good friend, it’s always nice to show an additional degree of love, care and attention to your loved ones at this time of year. From clearing your schedule and organising meet-ups with friends and big family gatherings to simply picking out the perfect Christmas gift, sharing these simple yet meaningful annual moments is the perfect way to strengthen your ties and commit to spending more time together throughout the year to come. 

After all, the feeling of being loved and appreciated is one of the best there is – wouldn’t you want to share it at this time of year?

At the end of the day, we should all do what we can to help our fellow human beings. We all share this planet and when we work together, we are far more likely to succeed and reach greater levels of success. For that reason, even if it’s just a small act of kindness, try to commit to making a change for good this winter. 

*Collaborative piece

Be Kind

Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.  Mark Twain

It has been over six months now since we made our New Years Resolutions.  The promises that we make to change things about ourselves.  Those changes are rarely made and by this point in the year, most of us have even forgotten what they were!

I do not believe in New Years Resolutions.  The gym membership that you forget about after month two.  The three books a month you promise yourself you will read, but don't.  That glass of wine on a Friday after work that you swear you will cut out (who are you kidding?).

Instead of thinking of ourselves and making promises we cannot keep, why not simply set ourselves a new challenge.  Be kinder to others.  It isn't hard to do and unlike that gym membership that is still coming out of your bank despite you not setting foot there for months; it will make you feel better.

There is a saying "treat others as you wish to be treated yourself".  I believe that the best way to be kind to others and be more selfless is to instead treat people the way you would want a beloved family member to be treated.  Pick the favourite person in your family: your mother, your grandpa; your auntie.  Think about the way you would wish a stranger to treat them, and act that way.

I have found that treating others as I would want a loved one to be treated has subtly changed the way that I interact with strangers.  For example my mum is 76 and sometimes struggles with the high bus step.  For this reason I always linger now if I have an elderly person behind me when I get off the bus, just in case they need a hand.  Because my mum would never ask for help with that, but she would appreciate it.

Visit your elderly neighbour living alone because you wouldn't want one of your grandparents to be living alone and lonely.

Ask the person upset on the street if they are ok, because you wouldn't want your sister to be upset alone.  Sometimes just a simple "Are you ok" showing you care means the world to someone when they are upset.

Carry a spare pound coin in your pocket for that occasional person who has no change in the car park. Let's face it, that has been all of us once.

All of these things take no time or effort, but can mean the world to someone else.  Go out into the world and be kinder.  It will make your heart happier.

Infograph courtesy of NRA Healthcare