Contributing to friendships, family and the community around you can improve your mental health.
Tips for contributing positively to the world around you:
- Volunteer. Giving your time up to a cause that you are passionate about is a great way to give back to the community and help those in need.
- Donate. You can contribute some money to local causes and make a difference to the services they provide.
- Smile at a stranger. Positivity is infectious but taking the time to smile or saying ‘Hi’ to a stranger could be the little something that brightens up their day.
- Do something nice for a friend. Surprise a loved one when they least expect it. Help out if they’re moving house, make them dinner or just let them know you are there with a listening ear when they need it.
- Give blood. Donating some of your blood could save a person’s life ¬– blood transfusions are life saving procedures and it’s free and easy to do.
- Pay someone a compliment. Irish people are famous for not being able to accept a compliment but we love hearing them nonetheless. Admiring a co-workers new haircut or praising the work of a loved one is an easy way to improve a person’s mood.
- If you see something that annoys you, instead of having a moan and doing nothing- go and do something about it.
- Treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself.
- Protect the environment. Reduce your carbon footprint by recycling and conserving water.
- Share your skills and talents with people or the community where they need it. If you’re a whizz at social media, try and help improve the profile of a local organisation or charity.
