2020 has been a wild ride.   

For so many 2020 has meant loss, sadness, illness, money worries and much more. For others it has opened new doors, made them slow down, given opportunities and meant more time spent with loved ones. Even a mix of both!   

We all worry about the the impact of what we have been experiencing during 2020, and the impact it will have on our kids and teens, the future generations.   

How is this going to effect them?

Is 2021 going to be a kinder year?  

There are two things that will triumph from this period of time along with the scientific advances.   

Dealing with uncertainty and resilience.  

Dealing with uncertainty is something humans find hard but never before have we had to sit with it, process it and deal with it like we do now.  

‘Can I see Granny on the weekend?’

‘Will the local sweet shop be open next month?’

‘Can I have a birthday party in...

Just when we needed it, one of the most respected and well loved leaders in the world, tells us how the build up to Christmas looks for her and chats about her mental and physical wellbeing. 

Jacinda Ardern, the PM of New Zealand, a country we love, is home to many friends and has had responded so brilliantly in this Covid pandemic. Jacinda explains to ex All Blacks rugby player turned wellness coach, John Kirwan, about feeling like she is 'crawling to Christmas' this year.

LINK HERE

Discussing self doubt and imposter syndrome she shares her strategies for dealing with this. Connections, loneliness and being an active relaxer. This 35 min chat really does cover so much of what we are about with The HOW People.

Looking at the basics. The pillars that make us function.

We call it The Know HOW. The important basics to grow your Happiness, increase the Opportunities that come your way and give you a framework for good mental and physical Wellbeing.

Make time to watch this ...

It has been a long month at the end of a very long year.

The curved ball thrown at many of us this weekend has been a tough one to take and so many people are left disappointed.

It is tough to stay positive, it is hard to remain resilient.

Surely, this whole experience will make us more capable as a human race of dealing with things that are thrown at us in the future. I was looking at our blog, to get things up and running with more regular content in 2021, and came across a post I wrote while in Canada on 2nd April before returning to the UK.

Everything written on that day remains in place today.

The feelings, the advice, the uncertainty. We have been living with this for 9 months now and even though so many of us feel very lucky to have steady jobs, a roof over our heads, a garden, loving families and food on the table when so many people around us are really struggling it is still hard for each and everyone of us in different ways.

So, be kind on yourself and others this week....

All about periods from The HOW People  

When was the last time you had an open conversation with your teen about periods?

When did the topic of periods become such a taboo?

Are there questions as an adult that you still feel you do not know the answers to?

The HOW People offer the opportunity for frank conversations about this very natural bodily function that we actually wouldn’t be here without!

LINK HERE

Schools give all students a basic education in what periods are, how and why they happen and the products that are available to use but there are so many questions that teens have that they might not have the confidence to ask their teachers or parents.

Are there more environmentally friendly products on offer?

What is the best product to use when playing sport?

Can I still go swimming when I’m on my period?

What happens when my periods stop?

What is the menopause?

From starting your period to the menopause, this series of videos is designed to be...

Welcome to the 'Little black book of independent business'

from The HOW People 

**An evolving list of makers, creatives and businesses from Wales and all over the UK** 

Local and independent retailers of non essential goods have taken a battering in 2020. Living in Mumbles, a vibrant village in Wales full of small businesses, we have seen this first hand and are doing our best to support locally.

The reality of shopping in 2020, lock down, a pandemic, busy lives and convenience also takes us to online shopping. This Christmas, try and think about whether you can buy and support an independent business in person, or online, run by an individual or family who will do a fist pump or a happy dance when your order drops into their inbox. It might take a few more days to arrive but they'll be doing a #HOWhappydance and it will make a real difference. 

Shop Local. Shop Independent. Shop Small. 

#HOWhappydance

Jo and Polly

www.thehowpeople.com

Instagram ...

It is ok to find this HARD.

I needed a little reminder of this today.

Yesterday was hard. Everything just seemed hard.
Every interaction with the kids seemed fraught.
Every thing that came out of my mouth seemed to be in the wrong tone or the wrong words.
They didn't want to do anything.
It felt like pulling teeth.

My poor husband came home from a 12 hour work day in the hospital and I might have even said words along the line of 'Don't talk to me about bad days' or something ridiculous when he came home.

I am pretty relaxed most of the time so days like these feel like a big deal and make me really reflect on myself (or beat myself up...)

With me, it generally comes down to parenting somewhere along the line.

I am probably not sleeping enough, I tend to work late and get up early to get 'stuff' done. Growing a business involves work.

I often say I don't work as I don't actually "go to work" at the moment but I am still trying to work.

I am in a good morning routine and getting out to...

These are crazy times indeed. There is no denying that. 

Everyone is experiencing this differently too. 

As we keep being told we are all in the same boat but, as I read recently, we are all facing different storms. 

For some, this storm involves a bit of drizzle and a light wind.

Force 2* maybe rising to Force 4*.

Time potentially to have a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of normal life. No school runs, no clubs, activities, birthday parties, weekends away, packing a social life with family and friends into a weekend. This is time to switch off, slow down, reconnect with their kids and make sure the internet shopping gets booked in on time. People working from home and trying to juggle the home schooling, which is in no way an easy task, but also taking time out for the simple pleasures in life and look forward to the return of some level of normality at some point in the future. 

For others it involves anything from Force 7/8* gales to Force 12*...

A week of ‘New Normal’ is nearly complete.

There have been big challenges for everyone, all over the planet. 

Whoever and wherever we are, we have been affected by this worldwide pandemic.

We have many friends and colleagues who are small to medium business owners: retail, cafes, restaurant owners and freelancers/self employed who have had to face the reality of a very different world this week. Closing businesses, having to say goodbye to their hard built teams and feeling lost as to when things will change for the better. 

Work has dried up for everyone. Life has been put on pause.

Meanwhile, an even bigger part of our lives is filled with over stretched and incredibly worried front line medical workers. Anaesthetists, GP’s, other hospital doctors, nurses, care workers. Lifelong friends and close relatives who are now putting their own lives and safety on the line for the rest of us. 

To think a month ago it was life very much Operation Normal is...

HOW Girls launched in June 2019: a block of 6 weeks this involved a 2 hour evening session at Surfside Cafe on Langland Beach. Freelance sessions were delivered weekly Yoga, Beach Club Fit, Trust Games, Photography and one week we had an ocean swim, built a fire and had marshmallows. Bliss. 

How did it work?

Each session started with a round circle chat each week in line with our core values. ‘If you were an animal what would you be and why?’ ‘How would others describe you?’ this was always a lovely way to start the session. During the course we invited some young local role models to come along and help out. Each week we did a beach clean and this lead to discussing plastic pollution and the importance for us to pick up as well as thinking about our useage. This was an angle we hadn’t expected the girls to take to so well. They continue to beach clean everytime they visit with their families now!

Scrapbooking and journalling was a big highlight...