Month: May 2024 Page 1 of 2

“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.” Flora Edwards.

It’s so easy to overlook the contribution and real difference made to our communities by unpaid volunteers. Many go about their work diligently, quietly and without seeking any recognition.

I wrote previously about how I was made to stop and think about the difference these community volunteers make during a trip to our local churchyard to put some flowers on my parent’s grave. At the time I was struck by a number of people who were doing jobs around the church. There was a man painting the church notice board, someone cutting the grass and an army of people cleaning the church and creating floral displays.

It made me think about all the people that give their time at the church and in other organisations to make things a little better in our communities. I concluded that we don’t always know about these unsung heroes and their involvement. They are working away in the background and providing a very valuable contribution to society.

After this experience, I was interested to learn that there is a Volunteers’ Week. It’s an annual event and this year takes place between 3rd and 9th June. It’s supported and celebrated by small grassroots organisations as well as larger, household-name charities. Together they run hundreds of activities across the UK, which showcase and celebrate volunteers and their contribution to our communities. Volunteers’ Week 2024 is a time to celebrate and inspire. This year Volunteers’ week celebrates 40 years.

Millions of volunteers are always active at the heart of every UK community. Volunteers’ Week provides an opportunity to celebrate and recognise their efforts and all they contribute to local communities, the voluntary sector and society as a whole. It gives a chance to say thank you.

Every year hundreds of events, both online and in–person, take place to celebrate Volunteers’ Week and the huge range of ways in which volunteers give their time. A wide variety of activities will be happening across the country from volunteer recruitment events and open days to celebration and recognition events.

As well as helping others, volunteering has many personal benefits for the volunteers themselves, including bringing fun and fulfilment to their life. I have listed some other benefits below.

Volunteering helps people to: –

• Boost their confidence and self-worth.
• Learn new skills and this may help advance their career.
• Make new friends, contacts and boost social skills.
• Strengthen ties to the community.
• Develop a sense of purpose.

 
There are numerous volunteer opportunities available. The key is to find a position that you would enjoy and are capable of doing. It’s also important to make sure that your commitment matches the organisation’s needs.
 
You may find the following questions useful in helping you to identify the right volunteering activity for you: –

• Would you like to work with adults, children or animals?
• Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
• Are you better behind the scenes or do you prefer to take a more visible role?
• How much time are you willing to commit?
• What skills can you bring to a volunteer job?
• What causes are important to you?
• Would you like your volunteering to be remotely from home?
• What goals do you have for your volunteering activity?

 
You may not have time to commit to a formal volunteering role but know that you enjoy helping others. Remember that you don’t have to make massive commitments or contributions to make a difference to others. Never underestimate how valuable any level of support can be to other people.

This week, as a starting point, why not pause for a few moments, to think about how you can use your skills and strengths to help others. If you would like to do more formal volunteering in the future, think about what your first step will be to make this happen.

You can learn more about Volunteers’ Week by visiting: www.volunteersweek.org.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

“Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.” Jessica Lange.

I’ve had sinus surgery recently, so I’ve had to have lots of rest and recuperation and I’m unable to drive for a few weeks. For someone who is used to being busy and always on the go, it has been a challenge to stop and just be confined to the house. However, I’ve accepted my current position and told myself that I need to rest and not overdo things.

To be honest, I haven’t had the energy or motivation to do very much anyway. I’m just concentrating on resting and drinking lots of fluids. I’m listening to the radio, catching up on my reading and programmes that I haven’t watched. I’ve slowed right down and it feels different. The consultant told me after my operation that I would be in a lot of pain and that I wouldn’t like him very much for two weeks! In reality, the pain hasn’t been as bad as I envisaged and I keep telling myself that everything will be good ultimately and worth any short-term discomfort that I feel!

When there are things that are out of our control and when we face uncertainty, it can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. This can dash our attempts to create inner calm and peacefulness, which help us to cope with challenges. Whenever I feel a little anxious about things, I remind myself of the following quotation to help calm my anxiety levels:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”

My operation has reminded me of the great value and power of acceptance. It’s a great quality to have and is useful in a variety of situations. Acceptance helps us to remain calm in the face of adversity. Developing greater acceptance brings us more inner peace.

As an example, as I waiting for surgery at the hospital, my procedure was delayed by a couple of hours. I knew there was nothing I could do about it. I accepted the situation and actually fell asleep waiting! By being accepting of the situation, it helped me to manage my stress and anxiety levels. It meant I was calmer and that I went into the operating theatre in a relaxed state. I focused on the positive benefits of surgery long term and put my faith in the surgeon and his team’s hands to navigate the difficult bit and to get me the outcome that I desired.

Having a greater level of acceptance also lets us live in the present moment and not be hindered by the past. We start to look for solutions to challenges rather than spending time wishing things were different.

Being more accepting of other people allows us to be in a state of non- judgement and bear no malice towards them. As a result, we have greater tolerance of other people’s views and opinions. We accept people as they are rather than how we would like them to be. We start to look at their strengths and qualities rather than their flaws and weaknesses.

We can apply this principle to ourselves too and become more accepting of who we are. We can develop pride in our qualities, our accomplishments and achievements. We can expand our appreciation of the value we bring to the world and the contribution we make.

Additionally, we can accept and use our natural gifts and talents rather than spend time and energy focusing on our weaknesses and what we lack. This also allows us to stop wasting time and energy comparing ourselves to others. As an alternative approach to the comparison game, we can become more single minded and focused on our goals and desires.

We can all learn to accept gifts and compliments from others and be grateful for all that we have in life. This will help us to develop an attitude of gratitude and helps us to feel good and positive about our life.

As Reinhold Niebuhr says we can accept the way things are and what we cannot change. This allows us to let go of worrying about the things that we can’t control and change. This enables us to divert our focus onto changing and influencing the things that are within our sphere of control. So, I am using my current situation as an opportunity to reflect and consider some of the things that I want to focus on and goals I want to achieve over the coming months.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and consider if you need to develop greater acceptance of situations and the people in your life.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realise this and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius.

Mental Health Awareness Week this year runs from May 13th to 19th and is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation.

Since 1949, the Mental Health Foundation has been the UK’s leading charity for everyone’s mental health. Their vision is for a world with good mental health for all. With prevention at the heart of what they do, they aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive.

Their aim is to drive change towards a mentally healthy society for all and support communities, families and individuals to live mentally healthier lives, with a particular focus on those at greatest risk.

Mental health problems can affect anyone, at any time and the Foundation believe that mental health is everyone’s business. So, for one week each May, they campaign around a specific theme for Mental Health Awareness Week. Since their first campaign in 2001, they’ve raised awareness of topics like body image, stress and relationships. The campaign reaches millions of people every year. This year’s theme is “Movement: Moving more for our mental health.”

Movement is important for our mental health. but so many of us struggle to move enough. There are many different reasons for this, so this Mental Health Awareness Week, we are all encouraged to find moments for movement in our daily routines. Going for a walk or run in our neighbourhood, putting on our favourite music and dancing around our living room, chair exercises whilst we watch tv – it all counts!

Regular movement helps to protect our mental health. It’s a great way to enhance our wellbeing. Our bodies and mind are connected. Looking after ourselves physically also helps us prevent problems with our mental health. Movement is a great way to enhance our wellbeing. Even a short burst of 10 minutes’ brisk walking can boost our mood and increase our mental alertness and energy. Movement helps us feel better about our bodies and improve self-esteem. It can reduce stress and anxiety and help us to sleep better.

On their website the Foundation has provided some tips on movement, here is a selection of them: –

Find moments for movement every day

Life gets busy and it can feel like we don’t have time to spend on activities to improve our wellbeing. But, finding moments for movement throughout the day might be easier than you think.

How often do you find yourself ‘waiting’ throughout the day? Waiting for the kettle to boil; for your children to come out of school; for a bus to arrive; or for a delivery. These moments can add up. If you use the time to get moving, that will add up too. You could march on the spot, do some stretches or try some chair exercises.  Give it a go! You’ll be surprised how much time you can fill with movement.

Set small, achievable goals

When you’re beginning to move more for your mental health, set yourself small goals. It might be walking to the end of your street. Then you can push yourself a little further each day.

Take a break from sitting

Many of us are sitting for long periods during the day: working at desks, driving, sitting down to browse the internet or scroll through social media, watching our favourite television show or reading a book. Research shows that it’s unhealthy to be sitting or not moving for long. If you are sitting for large periods of time throughout the day, set a timer to take regular breaks to stand up, walk around and stretch your body.

Connect with others

We can strengthen our personal relationships or even make new friends when we take part in movement activities with other people. These social connections are also great for our mental health and wellbeing.

Movement looks different for everyone, don’t compare yourself to others

It can feel nerve-wracking to think about moving more if you’re worried you can’t keep up with other people. Remember, you don’t have to be super sporty to get the mental health benefits that come with more movement. Focus on you and don’t worry about what other people are doing. For your own wellbeing, be kind to yourself and don’t feel pressured to keep up with someone else.

Be mindful about your movement

Often, we are moving without realising it. For example, when we do housework, grocery shopping or walking to work. Try to be mindful of how you’re moving and the way it makes you feel in both your mind and body. Noticing how we’re breathing, the sights and sounds around us, how the air feels on our face, can help us relax and feel less stressed.

Moving in nature

Research suggests that doing movement in an outdoor ‘green’ environment has greater positive effects on our wellbeing compared to doing activity indoors. Even if you live in the city, nature is often close by. Parks, gardens, nature reserves, forests, all provide opportunities for exercise, movement and meeting new people.

Plan things to look forward to

We know having events and plans in the diary to look forward to is great for mental health, it can give a sense of hope and excitement for the future.

Add moments for movement to your diary and make plans to do fun things that you can get excited about. This could be planning a family outing for a walk in an interesting place you haven’t been to before, joining a club or class that you can look forward to every week or a night out dancing with friends.

Celebrate your achievements

Well done! Congratulate yourself for taking care of your body and mind. Make sure to reward yourself too, perhaps a nice bubble bath after a walk in the park or something else that you enjoy.

Appreciation is a powerful way of generating positive thoughts and feelings. Recognising our progress is an important part of moving for our mental health!

This week, why not take a few moments to reflect on the subject of movement. Consider how you may participate in the Mental Health Foundation campaign. Think about whether you are moving enough or if you would like to increase your daily movement. Contemplate what action you will take and if you require any help or support. Who can you reach out to for assistance?

You can get additional detail on the tips and more information on Mental Health Awareness week at www.mentalhealth.org.uk

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk