Taking Care of You With Moonpig x Mind

It’s been a tough year, so it’s more important than ever to be extra kind to ourselves and those around us. That’s why we’ve collaborated with mental health charity Mind on a Christmas card collection for everyone who might need some support this year. With 10% of net sales going to Mind, the range features 30 festive designs – so you can send one to every person on your list and spread some much-needed cheer in just a few clicks.

A few things to remember from Moonpig & Mind as we enter the festive season, to make sure you’re taking the best care of you and your loved ones:

• Be kind to yourself. It’s okay to put your own feelings first, and cut yourself a little slack. Christmas can be hard at the best of times, let alone in 2020, so it’s okay to not be okay. Talk to yourself as you would a friend.

• Have boundaries. It’s completely okay to say no to things that don’t serve you, and ‘but it’s Christmas’ does not mean you have to go.

• Talk to other people. It can often feel like our problems isolate us, but they can bring us together and someone else might be feeling how you’re feeling. You don’t have to cope with it alone. You don’t have to justify yourself to anyone, but letting them know you’re struggling and telling them how they can help can make a big difference. For example, "This is difficult for me and actually, it would help if you ___." or "You weren't to know, but this is really hard for me. The best way to help me is to ___."

• Take time out. Remember that Christmas isn’t forever, and you don’t have to do festive things if you aren’t feeling like it. Distract yourself with things you enjoy, whether that’s crafts, listening to your favourite music, cooking something new, or going for walks in the great outdoors.

For us, a little bit of craft always makes us feel better (we think it’s growing up with Art Attack that did it), so we thought we’d put together a list of things to help ease stress and calm the mind.

Colour It In

Luckily the rest of the world agrees, and there are loads of really fun and beautiful adult colouring books out there. Whether you like mandalas, food, nature scenes or drag queens, the colouring book for you exists. It’s a great way to keep your mind occupied without making you anxious, and is overall just a fun activity to keep your hands and mind busy. You can do it whilst watching the TV, listening to a podcast, or right before bed to wind down away from screens. And as a bonus, at the end of it you have something bright and colourful to frame or pop on the fridge.

Bob Ross It

Learn to paint! Whether it’s poster paints, acrylics, watercolours or oils, there is something magical about creating something with a paintbrush. The process of making art is incredibly beneficial for confidence and self esteem, and a great way of learning how to let go. Don’t worry about if it’s ‘good’ or ‘bad’, the beauty of painting is that it really doesn’t matter, as long as you enjoy painting it!

If you’re stuck for ideas, the one and only Bob Ross has some amazing tutorials on YouTube teaching you how to paint stunning mountain scenes and fluffy clouds. Not only has he taught thousands of us how to paint, but his voice is straight up one of the most relaxing sounds you can ever hear. Even if you don’t want to pick up the brushes yourself, just watching him paint and listening to him chat is a lovely way to calm the mind and have a little moment to yourself.

Become a Sculptor

Crafting with clay can be an incredibly relaxing and calming way to spend some time, and you don’t have to own a kiln to get creative. Air dry clay is a great alternative, and as the name suggests it just needs a few days sitting in a dry room to harden up! If you’re anything like us and since the first lockdown have roughly 80 more house plants in your home, you could always make some clay plant pots for them to spruce them up. You could go full Lionel Richie and sculpt a bust of someone’s head. Or, you could even make some unique jewellery by painting the clay once it dries! And the beauty of clay making is that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be fun.

The Wonderful World of Yarn

The great thing about yarn, is that it can be used for almost anything (within reason). You can knit with it, crochet, embroider, make pom-poms, create rugs/pillows/throws, wall hangings, wreaths and the list goes on. If you’re really dedicated you could probably make an outrageously loud wig with it. You can let your imagination run wild, all whilst creating something fun and hopefully keeping your mind and hands busy.