2024 events to look forward to

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Here’s some unmissable events to add to your calendars for the year…

 

London Fashion Week (London, February 16 – 20):

Stay ahead of the fashion curve with the latest trends and designs showcased during London Fashion Week, attracting designers, models, and fashion enthusiasts from around the globe.

 

Chelsea Flower Show (London, May 21 – 25):

Garden enthusiasts can revel in the beauty of the Chelsea Flower Show, featuring stunning floral displays, innovative garden designs, and the latest trends in horticulture.

 

Wimbledon Championships (London, June 24 – July 7):

Tennis enthusiasts can look forward to the prestigious Wimbledon tournament, where the world’s top players compete on the iconic grass courts.

 

Glastonbury Festival (Somerset, June 26 – 30):

Music lovers can rejoice at the return of the iconic Glastonbury Festival, featuring a diverse line-up of artists, performances, and a unique atmosphere on Worthy Farm.

 

2024 Summer Olympics (London, July 19 – August 4):

The Summer Olympics return to the UK, bringing together athletes from around the world to compete in various sports. Expect thrilling moments and record-breaking performances.

 

Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Edinburgh, August 2 – 26):

The world’s largest arts festival showcases a diverse array of performances, from comedy and theatre to music and dance, transforming Edinburgh into a cultural hub.

 

Notting Hill Carnival (London, August 25 – 26):

Join the vibrant celebrations of London’s Caribbean carnival, filled with colourful parades, live music, and a lively atmosphere in the streets of Notting Hill.

Let’s (Pokémon) Go

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We’re being constantly reminded about the negative effects of too much screen time and the benefits of getting outside and walking more. But wait a minute, what if there were a way to combine the two? Well there is! So, over the weekend of 26 and 27 August, I did just that…

 

The path to the Pokémon league

For those who don’t know, that weekend was Pokémon Go Fest 2023: Global which, according to the official website, was ‘the biggest Pokémon Go event of the year’.

Having bought my ticket (I wanted the extra challenges only ticket holders can access) and laced up my walking shoes, I was ready to Go.

 

Community, I choose you!

Pokémon Go is an online game you can play on your phone and while the main aim is to catch Pokémon in the real world, there’s so much more to it. Along with spinning Pokéstops, Pokégyms and hatching eggs (all of which come with rewards), you can also participate in raids both locally and remotely. As someone who usually plays solo, remote raids haven’t only given me a way to catch otherwise unobtainable Pokémon, they’ve also given the game a real community feel. I might not be playing alongside other players in the real world but when we’re battling together virtually to take down a legendary Pokémon, it really makes me feel part of a team.

 

Rainbow and the Pokémon master

Another positive aspect of the game is that you’re actively rewarded for walking. The greater the distance, the greater your rewards. So if you want to hatch that 12km egg or get to that local raid spot, you’d better get walking. You’ll likely take in some great sights too.

Over the two days of Go Fest I walked more than 36,000 steps, which according to my phone would burn off 36 hamburgers!! Not bad for someone staring at a screen and catching pixelated monsters.

So even though I didn’t reduce my screen time (in fact I played much more than I usually would), I did get outside, walked a fair distance and caught some envy-inducing Pokémon along the way – one being a rarer than rare shiny Rayquaza!

 

Pikachu’s goodbye

So next time you’re going for a walk, why not get some rewards along the way? You might even bump into Pikachu if you’re lucky.

Love food, loathe waste

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Do you know the impact food waste has on our planet?

Due to the significant resources required for food growth, processing, packaging, storage, and transportation, among other things, it significantly increases our environmental footprint.

Good news is, every small action we take has a significant positive impact on our environment. If you multiply each modest action by the millions of people who live in the UK, it quickly adds up.

With a busy lifestyle it can often be difficult to be mindful of our food choices, but with the right planning it can have lots of extra benefits including making healthier food choices, reducing stress and slashing our shopping expenses! What’s not to love about that?

We all know that none of us wastes food on purpose. We’re doing our best but sometimes we need a little help along the way.

Support is out there! 

There are many food waste reduction apps which can help support you and your local community. They offer great advice, tips and planning tools to help support you and your family in your efforts.

My favourites include:

If you can, make a list of the food you waste over each day of the next week, so you have a better idea of where your habits lead to waste. Then you can decide on those areas for change. I’m lucky to have a food waste bin so even when I do have food to throw away, I know it’s repurposed to create electricity or used as fertiliser in farming. If your council doesn’t currently offer this service, you could consider composting.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself! Don’t get frustrated if you haven’t quite got it right. Remember, every small action has a positive impact on our environment.

And while I’m not perfect, I know doing nothing is not the answer. There have been many bananas I promised to turn into banana bread that didn’t quite make it.

Quick tip 

Let’s not forget the best way to keep food fresh is to make sure the fridge temperature is set correctly – ideally it should be between 3 – 5°C.  We often we don’t realise we’ve accidently increased or decreased the temperature so now is a good time to check!

 

How walking 1,000 miles can change your life

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As I sat on top of Pen Y Fan and poured myself a tea from my flask, I took in the Welsh countryside spread out around me and thought to myself ‘I can’t remember a time when I felt so free.’

This feeling of freedom isn’t something that comes easily to me. Having lived with OCD and Generalised Anxiety Disorder the whole of my adult life, my brain and body are used to living in a tightly controlled state of being. My anxiety was made even worse during the Covid-19 pandemic and I’m not surprised to find that according to Mind, 65% of adults with mental health problems have said it’s got worse since the first national lockdown.

Before the pandemic, I’d learned to live with my mental health condition fairly well and although it still affected me, it didn’t stop me living my life. But once the first lockdown hit and we were being told we had to stay inside, things started to go downhill. OCD makes me feel incredibly out of control and living through an unprecedented situation where no one had any form of control was terrifying. I tried desperately to keep control of as many things as I could and saw it as my ‘duty’ to keep me and my husband safe from the germs and contamination all around us.

I washed and sanitised my hands constantly, scrubbed every surface with bleach and washed and Dettol-wiped everything that came into the house. I couldn’t hug or be near anyone which meant even going for a walk became impossible as I struggled to find routes where I could guarantee I wouldn’t see people. Life became closed in and I became increasingly more anxious and withdrawn.

Fast forward to the end of 2021 and a world ever so slowly returning to some form of normality. Throughout 2020 and 2021 I’d started taking medication and gone to therapy sessions to help me cope with the way I was feeling and as a result, I’d started to take my first tentative steps back into ‘normal life’. It was at this time I came across Country Walking Magazine’s walk 1,000 miles challenge and decided 2022 was the year I’d walk 1,000 miles.

Walking those 1,000 miles has been emotional, exhilarating and life changing. It’s taught me a few things along the way too:

  • Blisters are my new best friend (well they’re not but I’ve had to learn to live with them!).
  • Walking 36 miles in a day will break you. Back in May I walked from Corfe Castle to Weymouth along the Jurassic coast and whilst it was incredibly rewarding, it took me 15 hours and afterwards I couldn’t move for the next 2 days!
  • Rest days are just as important as walking days.
  • The UK is stunningly beautiful and there are so many amazing places to discover.
  • Getting lost is ridiculously easy but it does add on a few extra miles.
  • Life is for living.
  • OCD and anxiety no longer rule my life.

I have a new joy for life I never thought possible – I look forward to getting outside and feel like I’ve got my independence and my life back. While I might not walk 1,000 miles in 2023, walking has become a key part of my daily routine and is something I’ll always prioritise for my mental health.

‘Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise.’ – Carrie Latet

All things being equal

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#choosetochallenge

Our world today looks very different to the one we were happily running roughshod over up until a year ago. While this time has been devastating for millions of us personally – whether losing people precious to us, suffering financially or becoming ill ourselves – it’s also forced us to step off the not-so-merry-go-round and strip our lives, habits and tendencies back to basics.

Many of us have had a lengthy hiatus to challenge the plethora of things we blindly accepted as the norm just twelve months ago. We all know the planet desperately needed a chance to clear its lungs, but as a race we too needed to take a breath and really consider what it means to be a human in the 21st century.

As I took time to breathe, the enforced isolation prompted me to think about how I interact with people – how I should interact with them and the unconscious way I treat the people around me. What are my core values as a person and what type of person do I want to be?

After some considerable soul-searching I realised at the most fundamental level I believe in all things being equal – simple really!

And to quote the first article of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

That means whoever you are, wherever you were born – your ethnicity, religion, beliefs, ability, sexuality and gender shouldn’t in any way prevent you from access to the same opportunities, rights, status, fairness or justice as anyone else.

You should not be discriminated against. Period.

So, on International Women’s Day and as part of their campaign #choosetochallenge, I want to share a few ideas about how we can all start to recognise and challenge the unconscious biases so deeply entrenched in ourselves and our culture. And although we’re focusing on women today, it’s worth bearing in mind the learned behaviours that unconsciously influence our actions and decision-making at every point of every day don’t just apply to gender.

Self-awareness
Take a step back and check your conversations, language and immediate responses. We all have learned ideas about gender and instinctively try to categorise everyone we meet – is this necessary or even appropriate? You might also have deep-rooted assumptions about ‘pink and blue jobs’ inherited from your parents for example, or unconsciously favour men for roles in authority and women for roles where emotional support is important. Ask yourself – am I reinforcing those biases just because I haven’t actively questioned whether they’re true?

There’s room for everyone
To some degree we’re all attracted to people most like us (sometimes called affinity bias), so without meaning to, we can end up excluding people who are different to us. Try not to discriminate for ANY reason and then bravely, respectfully call out stereotyping and intolerance whenever it raises its ugly head.

Celebrate success
And, on this day dedicated to ‘celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women’, I want to highlight how important it is to add your voice to the choir singing women’s praises. I urge you to try and weave recognition of the women you know and their successes, both personal and professional, into your own daily narrative.

Be the person who raises women up, challenges inequity and moves us collectively towards a future where equality for everyone is the new normal.

And finally… an opportunity to check your unconscious bias in favour of male authors right here!

Read more (by these amazing women) and get involved
Invisible woman: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
Difficult women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights by Helen Lewis
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
https://www.equalitynow.org/

Listen
Women unlocked – Audible original

It’s time to talk about mental health

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Many of us are finding things a little harder to deal with right now and one thing we can all take from the pandemic is just how seriously we need to consider mental health issues. Too long considered a taboo subject, mental health awareness is becoming more apparent than ever.

According to research carried out by the Mental Health Foundation, “Key indicators of distress among UK adults – including loneliness, suicidality and not coping well with stress – are worse now than at the start of the pandemic”.

Whether you’ve suffered with mental health issues or not, we can’t ignore the impact they’re having on so many of us anymore.

Prince William, a well-known advocate for raising the awareness of mental health, filmed a BBC documentary following his campaign to get men talking, in which former professional footballer Marvin Sordell speaks about his battle with depression and how he struggled to overcome this, culminating in trying to take his own life.

Fearne Cotton, now an ambassador for Mind, first publicly spoke of her depression in 2017. She has gone on to publish several mental health books, launched a podcast and set up a virtual mental health festival. She’s also a dedicated supporter of Time to Talk Day and other major campaigns.

Matt Haig’s book, Reasons to stay alive, details his own story of dealing with crisis, illness and learning to live again. He talks about his own experience with depression and ways of dealing with it.

The popular Netflix series 13 Reason Why, ITV’s Britain Get Talking campaign, the lyrics to Don Diablo’s Kill Me Better, the list could go on… mental health is the message people want to highlight right now.

The recurring theme throughout is how important it is to talk openly about mental health, but with 60% of those with a mental health problem waiting over a year to tell the people closest to them about it, is enough being done?

Time to change is raising awareness of mental health and want to ensure everyone can access help and support when they need it. As part of their ongoing work they’ve been running Time to Talk Day since 2014, to get us talking and changing lives. Taking place on Thursday 4 February, they encourage us all to be a part of it to help end mental health discrimination.

We might not be able to talk face to face at the moment, but it doesn’t mean we can’t all make a difference. Time to change will be holding a first ever virtual festival, consisting of a day of online activities you can join from home. The festival will cover the serious matters of talking about mental health, but also some more light hearted activities, cooking, yoga, Bollywood dancing – there’s something for everyone.

Maybe you’re looking to learn about mental health and how to help someone cope? Time to Change shares tips on how to talk about mental health, along with regular local events you can get involved in.  Taking just a few minutes out of your day could change someone else’s.

If you’re worried about your own, or someone else’s mental health, it’s important to remember you’re not alone. Visit the Time to Change website for organisations who can support you.

“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” – Eeyore, A.A. Milne.

Reading – a window into wellbeing

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Reading and wellbeing go hand in hand and it’s something we’re passionate about in the 4meWorld team. As we go into a new year where looking after yourself is more important than ever, we wanted to share some of our favourite wellbeing reads with you.

Sam recommends The unexpected joy of being sober – Catherine Gray

Discovering a happy, healthy, wealthy alcohol-free life

Catherine Gray’s book, The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, details her battle with problem drinking in a warm and light-hearted manner. While I don’t have a bad relationship with alcohol, I did feel the tips for cutting down consumption definitely resonated with me.

Gray discusses how much more enriched her life has become without alcohol and the book is packed full of facts for the ‘sober curious’.  It also signposts some great wellness social media accounts for those who want to live life a little more clear headed.

What I also found interesting was how many celebrities I didn’t know are teetotal, from Zac Efron to Brad Pitt. Sobriety doesn’t seem to have done them any harm!

The book may not have convinced me to go completely sober (at the time of writing), but when reaching for the next drink I’ve been left asking myself ‘Do you really need another’?

 

Max recommends Think like a monk – Jay Shetty (Audible version)

You don’t have to be a monk, to think like one

If ever we needed some actual practical help to calm our minds, increase resilience and cope with escalating levels of anxiety, it’s now! And for me, turning to the wisdom and experience of Jay Shetty in these dark days has made all the difference.

In his book Think like a monk, Jay offers inspirational insight into the often intense, conceptual lessons he learned during his time as a monk. And though it’s interesting to follow his journey to enlightenment, joy and mental freedom, the real jewel is his ability to apply what he learned to the daily mental exercises and advice he shares, and which we can all benefit from.

If you want to delve into and build your own hidden power, reduce stress, learn how to forgive yourself and others, release your mind from endless negativity or even just discover a bit of self-love, this book is a great first step. And if you’d like the enhanced experience of hearing these wise words straight from Jay himself, I’d highly recommend you curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea and listen to the Audible version so Jay’s words of wisdom can wash soothingly over you.

While I’m usually a fan of cover to cover reading so I can lose myself in the narrative, this book lends itself really well to return visits. You’ll find new cherries worth picking as well as those which become fruitful staples on your path to greater joy and a life filled with purpose.

In the spirit of well wishing, I’ll leave you with one of Jay’s many inspirational quotes: “Let’s not make happiness and success about the size of our homes, but about the size of our hearts; let’s not make it about gratification but gratitude.”

 

Rachel recommends No such thing as normal – Bryony Gordon

What my mental illness has taught me about mental wellness

In Bryony Gordon’s latest book No such thing as Normal, she uses her own experience of mental illness to compile a practical, compassionate guide to mental wellbeing. As a person who lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (commonly known as OCD) and anxiety, I found this book refreshing, relatable and most of all helpful to my situation. Bryony isn’t afraid to talk about difficult issues and her chapter on Lockdown and its effects on our mental health is particularly poignant.

Bryony helps the reader put in place a practical plan to help them look after their mental health – including an incredibly detailed chapter on how to get help and what to expect when you make the brave decision to take that step.

I came away from this book feeling mentally stronger and I’ve since used some of Bryony’s tips and analogies to help me in times of struggle or uncertainty.

 

Sam recommends Love imperfect things – Haemin Sunim

How to accept yourself in a world that’s striving for perfection!

I came across this simply written, calming book in January last year. I can’t remember how I actually came to know about it, but I’m glad I found it. This book probably won’t tell you anything you haven’t heard before but even still, it made me reflect on my own life; the facades I present to the world, my capacity for empathy, pride, failure, and acceptance during life’s ups and downs.

The book, written by a Buddhist monk, is packed with wisdom and illustrated with real life stories on topics like career, relationships, and stress. Reading it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket – it somehow made me feel more happy, peaceful and content. I think it’s a book I’ll always keep on my shelf.

 

Allan recommends The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Eckhart Tolle

Living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment.

This book really struck a chord with all we’re going through just now. Eckhart Tolle encourages us to really appreciate the present moment and spend less time worrying about what might (or probably won’t) happen in the future.

During lockdown I know I’ve been guilty of letting my mind wander and worry about things I’ve no control over. The Power of Now explains how to enjoy the space we’re in, be present and enjoy what we’ve got right in front of us. He encourages us to really experience the moment, because in a second it’s gone and you won’t have the chance to enjoy it again.

 

We’d love to hear from you – what books have you been reading to boost your wellbeing? Let us know in the comments below!

Dry January – swap your cocktails for mocktails!

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It’s safe to say things are tough at the moment, and the thought of giving up one of life’s small pleasures for the whole of January might feel like the last thing you want to do right now. But taking part in Dry January is a great way to rest and reset your body and mind.

According to Alcohol Change and the Royal Free Hospital, there are lots of benefits of giving up alcohol for a month:

  • 70% of people reported better sleeping habits.
  • It can reduce blood pressure.
  • Giving up alcohol for 30 days can lower cholesterol.
  • 86% of people participating saved money over the month.

If you’re participating in Dry January 2021, but stuck for ideas when it comes to choosing a Friday night tipple, why not try one of our five favourite alcohol-free recipes?

While the evenings are dark and cold, sometimes there’s nothing nicer than curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea. As an alternative, why not try this warming Chai tea recipe?

Not everyone loves a cocktail (or wants a cup of tea in the evening!), so luckily, alcohol free beers, spirits and wine are now widely available if you still fancy the taste of your favourite drink, without the alcohol.

Giving up alcohol for the month isn’t easy, especially given the current climate, but by taking part in Dry January you’re being kind to your body and mind.

If you’re already taking part, let us know how you’re getting on? What’s your alcohol-free drink of choice? We’d love to hear in the comments below!

21 wins for 2021

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New Year’s resolutions, make them? Hate them? Break them?

According to YouGov, 28% of people who made New Year’s resolutions this time last year failed to stick to any of them. While this isn’t surprising, it’s safe to say 2020 has been a year like no other and many of us can’t wait for it to be over. While I’m hoping for a brighter and better 2021, I’m making a resolution NOT to make New Year’s resolutions this year.

Instead, in 2021 I’m going to focus on 21 that are likely to increase my wellbeing and give my mental health a boost:

  1. Go on a short daily walk, being mindful of my surroundings.
  2. Read a book that I loved in my childhood.
  3. Show my unfinished craft projects some love.
  4. Take time for myself as often as possible.
  5. Watch films that make me happy.
  6. Take part in the 1p savings challenge.
  7. Build myself a self-care routine.
  8. Organise my at-home workspace.
  9. Go for regular runs.
  10. Have daily time away from screens and technology.
  11. Write down the things I’m grateful for.
  12. Check in with friends and family regularly.
  13. Borrow a friend’s dog and go for regular walks.
  14. Try a new sport.
  15. Create an at-home spa day.
  16. Have a picnic lunch.
  17. Try out new recipes and create my own takeaway.
  18. Send a written letter to a loved one.
  19. Prioritise my sleep.
  20. Focus on the things that bring me joy.
  21. Spend more time outside.

These 21 small wins will remind me to focus on my wellbeing and encourage me to be kind to myself. 2020 has been hard enough for us all, so remember to take time for those little things in your life that spark joy and try not to sweat about goal setting for 2021.

What things are you celebrating this year? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Stress doesn’t isolate during a pandemic

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The temperature is dropping, the nights are drawing darker and winter is on its way. The clocks going back at least gives us an extra hour in bed, yet many just want this year to be over.

“Almost one in five adults were likely to be experiencing some form of depression during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in June 2020” just one of many distressing facts from the Office for National Statistics regarding mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The statistics go on to highlight that “Feeling stressed or anxious was the most common way adults experiencing some form of depression felt their well-being was being affected.”

Stress is common place in life, whether it’s small doses motivating you to reach your goals, or it’s become overwhelming and potentially harmful to your wellbeing.

In any normal year dealing with stress can be, well… stressful. It speaks volumes that there is a week dedicated to helping us handle stress.  2020, however, is no normal year.  This is a year where we made the home our office, acted as substitute teachers to our children and had to endure seeing our loved ones through windows and screens. 

How are we meant to cope with stress during a time when each day is more unpredictable than the last?  Take a look at my tips to help you keep on top of stress during the pandemic:

Keep active

Exercise can be a great way of not only keeping your body active, but also your mind.

That doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the gym or running marathons, but your mind will also benefit if you can set aside some time every day for some form of physical activity. 

A high octane workout not your thing? Maybe some yoga, meditation or simply a walk – all of these can help relieve stress.

Sing

Hear me out on this one (not literally as singing isn’t my forte) – singing, or listening to music has been known to greatly relieve stress.

Think of all the times you’ve had a song stuck in your head, it’s pretty difficult to think of anything else!

Even if it’s only for a couple of minutes a day, relax, pop some music on and maybe even have a singalong.  Can anyone really stay stressed singing along with the Backstreet Boys?

Take a break

The boundary between your work and home life is probably a bit blurred at the moment, so it’s important to make sure work doesn’t take over. Take the same breaks from work as you would if you were in the office.

Just five minutes away from your desk to stretch your legs and step outside can work wonders.

Connect with people

Keeping in touch with the people we love is important for our mental wellbeing. With lockdown, self-isolating and many other new rules put in place, it only seems fitting that the most streamed song of 2020 starts with the lyrics “I been on my own for long enough” as I’m sure that’s how many of us are feeling. 

While we can’t all meet face to face, we have many other ways of keeping in touch right at our fingertips – pick up the phone, send a quick text or maybe even go live on webcam.  We don’t need to feel alone and keeping in touch regularly with friends, family and colleagues can help ease feeling of isolation and loneliness. 

Who knows, you could even make ‘webcam Wednesday’ a thing!

Challenge yourself

Are you up for a challenge? Maybe there’s something you’ve always wanted to do but have never got around to, like learning a new language, an instrument or maybe finally putting together that 40,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. 

Taking up a new challenge can help you focus on something else. I personally completed my first half marathon in lockdown and even though the race was virtual, my sense of achievement was not.

Look after yourself

At times like these, it can be easy to take up a few unhealthy habits.  Excessive drinking or smoking might provide temporary relief but they will only enhance your stress levels in the long run.

Try to maintain a healthy, balanced diet, make sure you drink enough water and get plenty of sleep. 

Talk about it

Pandemics aren’t something we’re used to dealing with, so it’s normal to feel stressed.

Talking to others about how you feel can be beneficial for you and maybe them as well. Whether it’s a friend, work colleague, family member or a professional, having someone to talk to can help you to feel less stressed about it all.

You can find information on the NHS website if you feel you need some extra support.

The unsustainable world of fast fashion

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There’s something rather wonderful about a little shopping spree and a funky new wardrobe, especially as the seasons change and new outfits beckon! We can get our hands on the latest trends at a fraction of the catwalk price… but is this really a good thing? Well, it might be great for the fashion-conscious among us and the retailers who profit from it, but the massive rise of ‘fast fashion’ in recent years has come at a very high price for the environment.

The truth behind the clothes
As the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee 2019 points out, “The way we make, use and throw away our clothes is unsustainable. Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined, consumes lake-sized volumes of fresh water and creates chemical and plastic pollution.”

Once you realise how these clothes end up on the shelves, the processes and the impact on the environment, it’s pretty clear there needs to be a change from the current fast fashion trend to a more sustainable way of buying our clothes. We’re at the heart of the problem in the UK, where it’s estimated every person buys 26.7kg of clothing a year – higher than any other European country. That’s a shocking statistic! I know I’ve certainly been guilty over the years of going on a good shopping spree with no idea of the wider impact – but not anymore!

So what can we do?
Well it’s clearly a huge issue and we could all start by doing our bit to spread the word! Talk about it with your friends and family and take a few simple steps to make an impact:

Buy less
Do you really need to buy that new winter coat, or can you dig out last year’s coat from your wardrobe? Think twice before buying anything new.

Buy second-hand
There are so many options, with loads of online marketplaces to choose from and charity shops on every high street which are wonderful for grabbing yourself a bargain!

Buy better quality
It should last longer and means you shouldn’t have to buy new things quite so often – better for the environment and your wallet.

Buy from sustainable brands
Support brands that take into account their environmental and social impact where possible, it really does make a difference.

Don’t throw your clothes away
If a zip’s broken or a hem’s come down try and repair it yourself, or if it’s beyond your sewing skills support a local tailoring business – it’ll be as good as new! I did this recently with a favourite jacket and loved that I could still use it. Donate what you don’t want or need anymore to a charity shop, or arrange a clothes swap with friends.

I’ve already started on my slow fashion journey and haven’t bought any new clothes for myself in months. I’m determined to keep this in the back of my mind for any future purchases and look to buy second hand more where I can (and fix where possible, too!) – do you think you can make a change to how you shop for clothes?

The pursuit of happiness (at work)

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On average we spend almost 40 hours of every week at work. With such a large percentage of our lives spent working it makes sense to try to make sure we’re as happy as we can be while we’re there. The International Week of Happiness at Work website tells us, “When you’re happy, you’re healthier, more vital, more cheerful, more social and more successful.”

Some studies have shown the key to being happy at work is resilience. Resilience is broadly defined as the ability to bounce back and adapt to hardships and set-backs. At work, resilient people are better able to deal with the demands placed on them, especially where those demands might mean dealing with constantly changing priorities or a heavy workload.

How do we become more resilient?
We’ve all been there – getting annoyed at something or feeling stressed at work. It’s completely natural, but it’s how we manage these feelings that can be really beneficial.

A healthy overall lifestyle can help – plenty of exercise and a healthy diet, but the key to greater happiness at work is becoming more resilient in the face of adversity. Developing an awareness of what we can and can’t control can help us manage how we feel and in turn build resilience.

In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey identifies the circle of control, the circle of concern and circle of influence. He highlights that proactive people focus on what they can do and can influence (circles of control and influence) rather than focusing all their energy on things beyond their control (circle of concern). This can help avoid feelings of victimisation and blame.

Covey believes reframing things we’re annoyed about, seeing them as challenges to be embraced and focusing on what we can control, will actually enable us to make effective changes. And if you do this you’ll find your circle of influence starts to increase – others will see you as an effective person.

Getting social
Just as important as taking positive actions to address problems is developing relationships with others – cherish social support and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You may not have direct influence over something you’re concerned about, but you may know people who do. Your team can have a wider circle of influence than you as an individual so build those communication skills – they really are important.

As well as building your support network you should also set goals, both individually and as a team. This also helps improve transparency and communication within the team. And celebrate reaching your goals, give yourself the credit you deserve and recognise your achievements.

Something on your mind
Mindfulness, amongst its many benefits, can also help build resilience. An awareness of the moment can help you stay present and manage your reaction to challenges.

Mindfulness doesn’t need to be 90 minutes of meditation, it can be as simple as taking a minute to pay more attention to the present moment and to your own thoughts and feelings. Apps like Headspace and Calm have loads of mindfulness exercises to suit you and your lifestyle.

What do you think the key to happiness at work is? Share your hints and tips in the comments below.