Positivity During Difficult Times & Smiling at Strangers — Part Three

If you’re new: welcome! Check out the last two weeks’ instalments of our series on channeling positivity in difficult times.

So far, we’ve taken stock and we’ve topped up our own bucket. I don’t know about yours, but some days mine is emptying as quickly as I’m filling it. Heck, some days I end the day with less than I started; days flash past where all I’ve done for other people is think about them, imagine the things I could do to help, then pass out on the sofa because this whole COVID situation is A Lot to handle.

But provided you have some time or some energy, or hopefully a bit of both, here are some ideas to bring a glimmer of positivity to others:

• Write. A physical, postable thing is best, especially if someone is physically on their own either at home or in hospital. Or, if you are short on time or resources, a message online is a nice thing to receive. Maybe a photo of something lovely from your daily walk. Or a silly meme that made you laugh. Don’t wait for someone to say they’re sad or lonely — treat the cause and not the symptoms.
• Talk. Making a phone or video call is a great way to connect, and not everyone is going to be the first to make a move. You don’t need to make an appointment if it feels like a rigmarole — a quick hello can lead to a proper catch up down the line. You might be the first person to reach out that day or that week, even. If you don’t get an answer or you’re strapped for time, a WhatsApp voice memo is a nice way to send some of your sound vibrations another person’s way.
• Go virtual with your usual meets — yoga, book club, post-work drinks… if nobody is making it happen, be the party starter. Be willing to accept you aren’t creating the same experience. Doing the same yoga video at the same time as a friend then FaceTiming for a coffee you’ve made yourself is not the same as sharing a studio with twenty other people and heading out for a flat white. But carving out some of your day to connect with someone else and deepen your yoga practice because you know someone, somewhere is doing it with you? That’s got to be better than lying in bed wondering whether you’ll do yoga today.. or tomorrow.. and you know what? Your buddy is thinking the same. If you’ve got the energy, make these experiences happen to other people.
• Money. We know the economy is likely to be screwed for a while. It’s natural to feel scared. But if you are lucky enough not to be badly affected, consider how you can safely keep spending and share what you have with others. Don’t cancel your subscriptions if you can help it. Where you can, and if you can afford it, support small businesses. If you find you have surplus, there are food banks and charities that could really use your support. And regardless of your income, you can share posts from the social media accounts of independent stores, practitioners and makers to raise them up in this difficult time.
• Smile. Smile at strangers, smile at the person who delivers your post, smile at the blackbird. And try not to judge those who don’t smile back, you don’t know what their story is, and you never know — you may have just given them permission to become a smilegiver too.

I hope there are some ideas here to help unlock your generous intentions towards other people. None of us is a superhero and we’re all dealing with a truckload of our own stuff right now, so don’t judge yourself harshly if you only feel you’re doing small things. And anyway, it’s only by stringing together small things that we can say we ever made it to the realm of great things in the first place.