Encourage your own happiness and growth this March. Explore ways of overcoming personal challenges, and be inspired to nurture your own mental wellbeing
1. Page-turners
All On The Board: Inspirational quotes from the TfL underground duo
What began as just two Transport for London employees who wanted to brighten up a ‘Keep Right’ sign with famous quotes and messages to travellers, All On The Board brings you a compilation of the inspirational and positive board creations you may have missed when commuting stopped!
(Out now, £14.99. Yellow Kite Books, Hachette)
2. Out and about
Green fingers
Being outside in the garden, or taking time to tend to your only surviving houseplant, can be a really great way to calm anxiety and stress. Taking an hour to make sure your pots are watered, or that there aren’t any stray leaves or weeds in your flower beds, can be so satisfying. The plants will thank you, too!
(Find more tips and tricks for growing your own plants at nationaltrust.org.uk/gardeners-tips)
3. Put on a show
Manifestations
Find a mirror and say, out loud, three things that you want to speak (and think!) into existence! Maybe by the time summer comes you want to have the confidence to wear that jacket you love but haven’t left the house in yet, or you want to apply for that job you’ve always wanted. Once you think and believe that something is possible, you can be more equipped to make it a reality.
(Learn more about manifesting from our columnist Grace Victory at happiful.com)
4. Lend us your ears
‘The Resilience Sessions’
Back for a second series, ‘The Resilience Sessions’ bring together veterans from Blesma, the limbless veterans charity, and well-known public figures to share their experiences of overcoming personal challenges. Each episode involves an open and inspiring conversation about the effects of limb loss on mental health.
(Listen to the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts and Spotify. Learn more about Blesma at blesma.org)
5. Plugged-in
Jada Sezer
As a UN Ambassador for women and a plus-sized model, Jada Sezer radiates the kind of positivity we all crave on our feeds. Hoping to inspire her followers to care as much about their mental health as they do about their bodies, Jada advocates for self-love as the highest priority.
(Follow @jadasezer on Instagram)
6. Tech Tip-Offs
Refill
Are you working towards a plastic-free lifestyle? The Refill app puts you in charge of your sustainability with a map of your local plastic-free shopping hotspots. Once you join the #RefillRevolution and download the app, you can also add any new destinations that you find so that others can use them, too!
(Available on Android and iOS)
7. Square eyes
I am Greta
I am Greta follows the awe-inspiring story of Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate change activist who continues to encourage every one of us to save the planet. While the uplifting documentary explores Greta’s huge success across the globe, it also takes time to reflect on her own mental health as a self-proclaimed shy girl with Asperger’s syndrome.
(Available on BBC iPlayer)
8. Treat yourself
The HappySelf Journal
Switch off from social media and become more in-tune with your own thoughts and feelings with the HappySelf Journal. Noticing the positive impact of journaling, Francesca Geens wanted to create a simple journal of her own. Filled with daily exercises to help you and the young people in your life practise mindfulness, the HappySelf journal encourages a growth mindset.
(£19.90, shop online at happyselfjournal.com)
9. The conversation
International Women’s Day
“From challenge comes change.” International Women’s Day aims not only to celebrate women’s achievements, but also to challenge the gender inequality around us. Why not share your favourite inspirational women and their successes across social media, or sign up for a virtual event dedicated to celebrating women!
(8 March 2021. You can sign up for live events and find resources at internationalwomensday.com)
10. Get going
Hula Fit
We all do exercise for different reasons, and luckily for us, Hula Fit can suit all of them! Open to every ability, Hula Fit will get you moving your body in ways you haven’t before, while getting your heart pumping and your endorphins flowing. Make sure to grab a drink before you start – keeping the hoop on your waist is sweaty work!
(Class prices start at £6.00, visit hulafit.com to find out more)
