If there is one thing many people learned from the pandemic, it was the importance of appreciating the simple things in life. The enforced time spent at home led many people to rethink their priorities and encouraged communities to come together and help each other. Now the restrictions have lifted and life has started to get back to normal, you may be keen to hang onto some of the positive aspects of life in lockdown. Right now, the world needs as much positivity as it can get, so if you are keen to make a difference, pursuing your altruistic tendencies is a truly admirable thing to do. 

The interesting thing about taking the time to do good things is the impact it has on your thinking. Doing good in the world is not just beneficial to the people you help; you will also make significant personal gains from your charitable efforts. Researchers report a phenomenon known as the ‘helpers’ high,’ which kicks in when you do something for the benefit of others. So, whether you volunteer your time or donate money, your good deeds will give your wellbeing a boost as well as help a good cause.

While it’s clear giving is good, you may be wondering how you can turn your desire to help into action. If you are in need of inspiration to help you start to make a difference, you should find these tips give you plenty of ideas:

Make a Difference Everyday

You don’t need to launch your own charitable foundation to make a difference in the lives of others. Starting small and doing good every day is an excellent way to get started. Whether you volunteer to get shopping for an elderly neighbour or brighten up your local area with some strategic yarn bombing, these acts all have a positive impact. If you are planning to decorate your neighbourhood with wool, just be sure you have permission so that your crocheted creations don’t turn you into a criminal!

Even simple acts such as decluttering your home and donating the items you no longer use to a charity shop can make a big difference. The power of small, simple acts of giving is often underestimated, but the cumulative impact you are making is significant when done regularly.

Tim Wells from Garage Transformed gives a quick rundown of some popular items that are suitable for donation:

• Clothes: Gently used clothing is always welcome. This includes shoes, belts, and bags too. 
• Books and Textbooks: If you’ve got books or textbooks collecting dust, they could find a new home with someone else. Fiction, non-fiction, kids’ books, or educational materials make great donations. 
• Baby Items and Toys: Clean and safe baby gear and toys can be a real lifesaver for families in need. Cribs, strollers, car seats, and toys are all great to donate. Just double-check that they meet safety guidelines before passing them on.
• Large Items: If you have furniture, appliances, or electronics that are still in working order, they can be donated, too. This includes items like pianos, mattresses, and TVs. Keep in mind that some organizations might have size restrictions, so check with them beforehand.

Cars and Boats: If you have an old car or boat taking up space, consider donating it to a charity that accepts vehicle donations. It’s important to check the charity’s guidelines and any tax implications for donating a vehicle.

Image Pexels CC0 License

Focus on Your Community

One of the easiest ways to make a big difference in the lives of others is to focus on your local community. Starting your charitable efforts close to home makes it much simpler for you to get started. Having the advantage of local knowledge lets you make the most significant positive changes as you already know which areas require attention.

If there is already a community action group where you live, it may be worth joining to ensure you don’t step on anyone’s toes or duplicate their efforts. If not, now could be the perfect opportunity to create one and to begin bringing the community together.

You could use the community group as a vehicle to raise money for local charities or to pressure your local council into making changes to the area for the benefit of the community. If your purpose is to raise funds for local good causes, your efforts are likely to be successful, as people like to support projects that are meaningful to them and will positively impact their daily lives. You could raise money by choosing to design your own personalised calendar featuring images of the local area and then selling them on with the profits going to a local charity. Whether you are trying to raise money for new play equipment for the local park or your local football team needs sponsors, there are many excellent ways to use the money you raise.

Volunteer Your Time

If you are keen to take a more hands-on approach and engage directly with the people you are helping, volunteering your time is a great way to get involved with a good cause.

There are many different opportunities to volunteer, so you should have plenty of options to choose from. But, before you go ahead and sign up for a range of volunteering opportunities, it is crucial to check you have the spare time available to commit.

Knowing precisely what you are signing up for is essential to ensure that you can fulfil the level of commitment required while also juggling all your other responsibilities. Trying to take on too many volunteer opportunities can mean you spread yourself too thin and put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Working out how much you are happy to help with and how much spare time you can realistically spare will ensure that you get the balance right.

There are many different ways that you can volunteer without making it a full-time unpaid job. You could choose to give a few hours a week of your time by volunteering at a youth group or helping out at a food bank. Alternatively, you could take a more formal volunteer position by covering a shift at a charity shop or a local soup kitchen.

Use Your Specialist Skills

Do you have a specialist skill or qualification that not many people have? If so, your skills could be in demand in the charity sector. People with many different skills put them to use to help good causes in their free time.

If you are happy to do your job for free in your spare time to help others, then this could be the ideal way for you to make a difference. This idea is something that many people have trialled in the past and have found it a great way to give back. From hairdressers providing free washes and cuts to the homeless to vets volunteering at animal shelters, there are plenty of opportunities to get stuck in and help people out.

Once you start volunteering your time, you may be surprised by how in-demand your skills are and what a big difference they can make to the lives of others.

Reaching a particular number of years of enduring existence on this planet might make you an adult on your birth certificate, but in attitude, things can get a little more opaque. We don’t all ‘grow up’ in the same way, and life lessons are learned at a different pace.

Adulthood is tough. You are expected to be capable of balancing your career, personal life, physical and mental health while also managing to get enough sleep – and that’s just for starters. However, while various factors contribute to one’s maturity, there are some practical, proactive ways that you can tackle life head one as an adult. Let’s explore.

LEARN THE BASICS OF FINANCE

Money management is one of the most important adulting skills, as it can help you secure a better financial future. You can start by learning the basics of finance from online courses like those on Investopedia, or if you want to learn about personal finance in a more engaging way, then you can always check out podcasts on investing like Marketplace Money and Freakonomics Radio.

It’s also a sensible, responsible approach to keep a close eye on your daily, weekly and monthly outgoings, via a simple excel spreadsheet or more something in-depth, by using financial software apps. Some of the best include You Need A Budget, Moneydance, and AceMoney.

Developing healthy financial habits is one of the most important life skills any adult can learn.

TAKE YOUR HEALTH SERIOUSLY

When you were a child, your parents took care of your medical needs by taking you to the doctors and making sure that you got regular checkups. As an adult, however, it is your responsibility to take care of your body and health.

Make sure that you schedule regular medical checkups, including dental checkups, annual physical examinations and even a sexual health test, as well as eye checkups, blood tests, cholesterol tests, and more. This will help you catch any potential health issues early enough to enable you to take necessary action before they become a more serious problem. Prevention is better than cure, after all.

Read: 6 ways to take control of your help

DON’T BE TOO PROUD TO ASK FOR HELP

One of the key elements of adulthood is being able to accept and acknowledge your weaknesses. And in order to be able to do that, you have to learn how to ask for help when you need it. Doing so doesn’t mean that you are weak or incapable; it just means that you are a person who is brave enough to admit that you can’t do everything alone.

In fact, asking for help can be a sign of strength, and helps you build resilience and fortitude over time. Stepping out of your comfort zone, and opening yourself up to different insights and viewpoints can do wonders for your outlook. 

TREAT SLEEP WITH THE RESPECT IT DESERVES

The value of a good night’s rest cannot be emphasised enough. So, we’ll emphasise it again, for those nodding off at the back; sleep is essential in reducing stress and approaching adult life with the clarity of thought that it demands. 

This is because it is the time for your body to regulate cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. As if by magic, you will be biologically less stressed when you have enjoyed a regular run of proper, restful sleep. You’ll also notice better levels of concentration, focus and foresight, all of which are essential for tackling the adult world. Most adults need 7-9 hours each night, which is the ideal range you should aim for. 

PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION

Being an adult means being able to separate yourself from your emotions so that you can make rational decisions. Although we live in a world that values rational thinking, there is no denying the fact that emotions play an important role in our lives. 

The key to managing them is self-compassion. When we struggle with putting our emotions into perspective and dealing with difficult situations, we often become defensive and critical towards ourselves. Self-compassion helps us put it all in perspective and deal with our problems in a healthy way.

WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS AND TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

When you were younger, your parents and teachers helped you set goals for yourself and motivated you to achieve them. Now that you are an adult, however, it is your responsibility to set goals for yourself and find ways to achieve them. One way to do this is by writing down your goals in a journal or planner and tracking your progress by noting what you have achieved each day or each week. It will keep you motivated, accountable, and focused on achieving your goals, which is what it’s all about, right?

THE BOTTOM LINE

While there is no one single definition of adulthood, there are many universal life lessons that every person must learn to become a real adult. These lessons include learning to ask for help, managing your finances, practicing self-compassion, controlling your health, and tracking your life goals. So, are you ready to tackle the responsibilities of an adult head on?

The way we dress is thought to represent not only our individual personality, aspirations, values, and our culture, but the state of society collectively, too. 

Although style is often fluid, progressive and ever-changing, our fashion choices may hint at certain personality traits and where the country (and even world) is headed. Indeed, in times of struggle and turbulence, analysts of trends have observed that clothes become more practical, durable and less frivolous.

But what do our fashion choices and the image we cultivate say about our personality? Let’s explore.

STYLE ESSENCE VS STYLE EXPRESSION 

Style essence, unlike style expression, is about your core self. It’s what helps bring out your own unique personality and how this relates to who you are in the world. Style expression, on the other hand, is about how you dress which may be influenced by other factors such as the state of society and a rejection of conventional beauty standards. Only when the two are combined can a sense of rounded, fully-formed image cultivation occur.

Our style essence can therefore be expressed through how we dress; however, it may not always be truly ‘authentic’ – but that’s okay! Some may choose to channel clothing choices from the past, via a vintage style, whilst others may look forward to the future, going for a cutting edge aesthetic with a sense of optimism at its core. Others may zero in on individuality, opting for a personalised adult hoodie, self-printed T-shirt, sewn-on patches or even a whole home knitted sweatshirt.

Indeed, style is something that evolves with us throughout our lifetime, reflecting the ebbs and flows of the times.

Read: The seasonless wardrobe guide

NOT ONLY OUR CLOTHES

Our unique personal style isn’t only about our clothes. There are so many ways we can express our personality through the way we customise our look, too. Expression can be via gel nail polish, certain makeup styles, or even how we style our hair. Here are a few examples of self-expression through mediums other than clothing:

Make-up

Make-up can be used both for functional and expressive purposes. Often, it is simply used to cover imperfections and can often help to boost confidence, enabling people to feel as much like their idealised, true selves as possible. However, there is a lot more to makeup can do than this – in fact, it can be an art form.

Experimenting with different makeup styles can be fun and adventurous, whether that be through bold cut crease eyeshadow looks, or through a softer more romantic look. Makeup is flexible, helping you change your entire face for just an evening, if you so desire, and that’s what’s so great about it. Currently, we are seeing a comeback of thin Y2K eyebrows, which is a huge step away from the Glossier ‘Boy Brow’ which dominated the eyebrow trend for the last couple of years.

Hair

Believe it or not, your hairstyle can be used to express your personality in myriad ways, too. In the world of pop-psychology via Cosmopolitan, redheads are deemed fun-loving, curls are thought to indicate generosity, and medium length, natural hair can give off the sense you are a logical and straight-forward thinker. 

Though there might be some truth in that, the way you style your hair can carry more functional purposes, able to emphasise and shape your facial features in a certain way to portray a certain mood or emotion. Or, your choice of hairstyle can be used to simply highlight elements of your face that you’re particularly keen to draw attention to.

Read: 5 timeless accessories IDEAL for framing your face

Hair colour also allows us to express ourselves and our feelings. In the last couple of years, we’ve seen people dye their tresses in blends of blue and green like a mermaid, rainbow-like pastel shades like a unicorn, and the most popular shade of the last couple of years; pink.

As Allure explains, pink is associated with various personality traits, including “gentleness, empathy, sensitivity, caring, sweetness, compassion, tenderness, nurturance, and deference.” The colour also offers a nugget of escapism. Who doesn’t need a little escapism, even at the best of times? And we’re sure you don’t need reminding that the last couple of years haven’t exactly been the best of times. 

Body Art

There are lots of different types of body art out there that might appeal to your personality and your style choices. Tattoos are increasingly popular and mainstream, meaning that they are a common way for people to express themselves. The one downside to tattoos is that they are on the more permanent side of things.

If you find yourself with a tattoo that you regret, the team from laser tattoo removal at GHB Clinic tell us that you may well need a series of sessions before the tattoo is totally removed from your skin. This is a good option if you either can’t or don’t want to get a cover-up tattoo.

One option for people who like a design or the idea of body art, but aren’t sure about a permanent tattoo, is to look for more temporary options. For example, henna is a beautiful dye used as hair dye and as a temporary body art, usually lasting a few weeks.

Nails 

If you find that you don’t always have the time to express yourself through hair and makeup, painting your nails can be a great way to express your personality, too. 

Long-lasting and surprisingly durable, an intricately designed set of nails can simply serve as a little reminder about who you are. For a classy look, opt for a nude nail, yet if you tend to channel a style which falls more on the eclectic side, you may go for bright neons and diamantes.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Being yourself should be the most important factor in determining how you dress. If you prefer little to no make-up, don’t feel pressured to start doing wild eyeshadow designs – and vice versa. Do not be afraid to express your true self through your daily image.

Skin can be one of the most challenging features to deal with when making yourself look flawless. There are many ways that people try to hide or cover up blemishes or scars, but sometimes those efforts do not always come out looking natural. 

For instance, if you attempt to cover up blemishes using makeup, it can be heavy and cake on the skin, which causes your appearance to look unnatural. If you have issues with acne scars or blemishes, you may want to consider using jello skin treatment as a possible solution. There are several ways to use jello to get your skin looking flawless.

WHAT IS JELLO SKIN?

Jello skin is a method to cover the blemishes, scars, or acne on your face with gelatin. The idea behind this type of treatment is that if you can turn the gelatine into a liquid and then put it over the scarred area on your face, it will form itself to the shape of the deepest part of the blemish. The gelatine will then dry and tighten, allowing it to create a smooth appearance on your face as if there was nothing wrong with it. The final result will be that when your skin heals, the blemishes are gone.

HOW TO ACHIEVE JELLO SKIN

To achieve jello skin, you need to purchase gelatin mixes that you can find at your local grocery store or pharmacy. You may be wondering how you will put these products on your face? Well, it is pretty simple. According to the team at beelineskincare.com, all you have to do is take a little bit of the product and mix it with water in your hands to create a liquid. Next, take the liquid and spread it over your skin to cover up the blemishes or scars that you would like to be removed. Then all you have to do is wait for it to dry, and voila! You will have smooth, flawless-looking skin in no time.

Alternatively you could seek a dedicated jelly skin-care product, of which there are now many on the market.

For more lasting results, it is recommended that you repeat the process each day for about two weeks. You should find permanent results after your skin is completely healed if you do this.

Read: 5 reasons to make your own skincare products

WHY JELLO?

There are many reasons why people have chosen jello as an effective method to cover up blemishes on their faces. One of the main reasons people like to use this product is that it is cheap and affordable for everyone. You can find jello products at any grocery store or pharmacy, so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding the gelatin mixes that work best for your skin type and needs.

Not causing skin irritation is another reason why many choose to use jello to cover up acne scars or blemishes because it generally doesn’t irritate the skin. Many makeup products can be harsh on your face, causing you to develop acne or irritation. However, jello is gentle and non-irritating, so it will not cause any pain or discomfort when using it on your face.

Another reason to use jello skin to remove blemishes is that anecdotal evidence exists of individuals trying this process and seeing positive results.  

Another beneficial aspect of using jello to treat acne scars or blemishes is that it generally won’t cause pain to the skin. Some makeup products can be pretty harsh on your face, but a jello-based skin treatment doesn’t tend to cause discomfort.

In addition to the above benefits of using jello skin treatment, it is also effortless to use. You can find jello products at your local store, and then all you have to do is spread the substance over your skin to cover up blemishes or scars. Once you have managed to apply the jello, it will only take a few minutes for it to dry and when it does; you will have flawless-looking skin.

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?

There are a few disadvantages to using jello as an acne scar removal method; however, most of them outweigh any negative aspects that this product can have on your face. The primary disadvantage that many people find when they use jello is that it may not be effective for everyone. Jello skin treatment may not work the same way on everyone, and if it does not have a positive effect, you will want to look for another product that can help your face.

Another disadvantage of using jello to remove acne scars and blemishes is that it takes time to become effective. It may take anywhere from two weeks to two months before you notice a significant difference in your face. If you feel this is too long of a period, you can choose another product that will work more quickly on your skin.

It should also be noted that using jello on your skin isn’t a vegan friendly solution, as the preparation uses gelatin, which is a protein made through boiling the bones, tendons and cartilage of pigs and cows.  

The last possible disadvantage that some people find when they decide to use jello as an acne scar removal method is that, in occasional cases, it may lead to discomfort.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you are tired of using makeup products every day that do not work correctly on your face, then jello may be the right choice for you. It comes with various benefits, including being generally painless and tending not to irritate your skin. 

Those who use jello as a blemish removal method, much to their initial surprise, may well find themselves satisfied with the results they see after several weeks. Of course, it may not work for everyone, and may take up to two months before you begin to notice a significant difference in your acne scars or blemishes, but if you’re looking for a novel route to flawless skin, you might want to consider this one.