12 Days of Kindmas

Get involved in our 12 Days of Kindmas campaign as we practice being kind to ourselves and each other to mind our mental health at the end of a difficult year.

Celebrating hope and finding solace

The impact of COVID-19 has made 2020 an especially trying time, and has brought significant changes to the way we live, work and interact with each other: everyone has felt the effect. And while the end of a year is often a period to reflect on or celebrate the last twelve months, for many of us, the ways we traditionally mark this or restore ourselves at this time are not possible.

Celebrating hope and finding solace

Minding our mental health at moments like these is so important - and, in a year like 2020, that starts with kindness. Being kind to ourselves helps us to take pause, acknowledge how we feel, introduce or refresh practices to look after our wellbeing, and renew ourselves. Being kind to others empowers us to reconnect with and reengergise those around us, forge new bonds, and find solace together.

So, we're inviting you to join us for 12 Days of Kindmas as an opportunity to consider how we're all feeling, spread messages of hope and solidarity, and provide some relief and restoration this winter season.

From 8 December 2020, for each of the 12 days of the campaign, we shared insights and tips from our team on how we can foster kindness and compassion for ourselves and one another, develop coping strategies for the challenges we've faced in recent months, and refresh and revive ourselves to prepare for a more mentally healthy new year ahead.

After launching the campaign on Day One, we shared lots more news, resources and ways to get involved over the 12 days, which you can catch up on below.

Practicing self-care and mindfulness

Taking time out for self-kindness and showing ourselves empathy helps us to focus on considering what we can do to really make ourselves feel good. Whether it's setting a few minutes or hours aside for a relaxing activity or trying out a grounding mindfulness practice, we have lots of tips and ideas that will help you to get started in making yourself and your wellbeing a priority this winter.

Minding our mental health

Winter can be a challenging time. Whether it's experiencing feelings of guilt or anxiety about over-indulging on festive treats, feeling unmotivated and lethargic in the harsher weather, or missing loved ones who passed away during the year at a time you would normally be together, there are lots of everyday moments that we can find more difficult - with the exceptional circumstances of 2020 often compounding this. However, treating ourselves with kindness when these moments do arise can help us to move through them in an easier, healthier way. So, during #12DaysOfKindmas, Clinical Psychologist Professor Jim Lucey shares with us some guidance on dealing with grief and bereavement during the COVID-19 outbreak; dietitian Eleanor Sutton discusses how we can enjoy a healthy approach to food; and Advocacy Manager Louise O'Leary gives suggestions on how we can engage with nature's wonders during winter to support and maintain our mental health and wellbeing. Read more from them below!

Minding our mental health

Celebrating kindness

2020 has impacted our ability to spend time with our family, friends and loved ones, but, with some simple acts of kindness, we can extend the hand of friendship, support and love. These acts show we care and give us and those we care for a real boost. From something as simple as sending a text to neighbours to check if there's anything they need help with to pairing up with a friend to learn a new skill online, there are lots of ways we can let people know we're thinking of them - and our #12DaysOfKindmas campaign celebrates these!

Sending good wishes

We're sharing a free eCard which you can use to send best wishes to friends and family, letting them know that they are in your thoughts. While we might not physically be able to be with those we love as we would like to be at this time of year, taking a few minutes to share a special message with them is just one way we can show them that we are still together. Click on the links below to download a card which you can send to those in your thoughts by email or on social media. Use the hashtag #12DaysOfKindmas to help spread the positivity!

Expressing gratitude

For so many of us, our home, working and social lives look very different today to how they did in January of this year, and we have been through experiences and felt losses that we couldn't have foreseen or prepared for. In such a turbulent year, taking a few minutes to reflect on both the people and the little things that we're grateful for can make a big difference to us. Whether it’s enjoying a long-overdue phone call with a friend, being thankful for feeling well, or appreciating an act of kindness someone has done for you, acknowledging these moments and remembering these pockets of joy can brighten our days and give us positive boosts.

If you need support for your mental health, help is available.

If you need support for your mental health, help is available.