How Covid-19 Has Had a Positive Impact on the Environment

The environment is getting a much needed break at the moment, and our theme of this week’s Wellbeing and Positivity campaign is ‘Our Environment Is Thriving Right Now’.

While everyone around the world is working together in the fight against the coronavirus, the planet is recuperating. The Climate Crisis is a huge challenge to our future and it seems the world is finally taking notice. We have seen rallies across the world urging more to be done to protect our planet, including Extinction Rebellion and the inspirational Greta Thunberg, speaking on behalf of the next generation.

The corona virus has seen a dramatic drop in travel and activity and as a result the environment is improving. With less traffic on the roads and airplanes in the skies, air pollution levels have dropped in the UK, China, Italy and all across the world. For the first time in decades, people in Indian can see the Himalayas in the distance.

It is not just the skies – the water is cleaner too. Venice’s canals have begun to run clear for the first time in many years due to the reduction in tourists and travel on the water ways. More fish and birds have returned to the canals, enjoying the space for themselves.

A little kindness goes a long way, especially during such uncertain times. This is why Peace Partners have chosen to start the Wellbeing and Positivity campaign with the theme of The Power of Love and Kindness. Helping others is beneficial for everyone. Love and kindness will not only support those around you but it will also improve your own wellbeing. It can have a hugely positive impact – it can combat fear and make us all feel a little less alone.

It has been proven that being kind and taking positive action is good for our mental health. These loving acts reduce stress and can activate the ‘pleasure centre’ of the brain. Hugging your loved ones is great for your health too; it produces Oxytocin - the ‘love hormone’ – and helps to bond us together. Even though we might not be able to see or hug loved ones right now, Dr Michelle Sands suggested some wonderful hug alternatives. Hugging or petting a pet produces the same hormones - what a great excuse to allow the dog to sleep on the bed!

Listening to music and finding ways to be creative can also effectively relieve stress. There are so many different ways to be kind. They can be the smallest of actions, or the largest. You could drop food round to a vulnerable neighbour, call a friend who is struggling or donate to a charity. Online #ViralKindness Facebook groups have been created to spread care and kindness in communities.

It is also vital that you are kind to a very important person right now – you. We suggest that you take time for yourself doing things that make you happy, whatever they may be. That might be doing yoga, reading, watching your favourite show or gardening.

This week is also Mental Health Awareness Week and The Mental Health Foundation has chosen kindness as their theme. Our mental health and wellbeing is always important but even more so right now. The pandemic is making it more difficult for those struggling with their mental health. It can be scary when there is so much change, isolation and uncertainty. But love and kindness can help us come through this. It is normal to feel anxious right now and it can help to share your worries with people you trust.

The world feels uncertain right now and it is only natural to feel worried.  Peace Partners wants to be there for our supporters during this time and provide some positivity to help everyone cope a little easier.  We are happy to announce that we are launching a Peace and Positivity campaign this month; we want to focus on the idea of new beginnings and lightness, even when the world seems a little dark.

Over the next month we will be posting a couple of times a week to this page. Our posts will focus on three themes: Wellbeing, Peace and Environment.  We know there are so many contributing factors to supporting your wellbeing so we have selected a few themes we believe are important and will be focusing on these.

The campaign kicks off on 18th May and this week it will address the themes of The Power of Love and Kindness. We will be looking at how love and kindness can have a positive effect on those around us and ourselves too, especially now.

Keep an eye out for videos, recordings, articles, photos and much more. We will be including material from all over the world; sharing positivity worldwide during the pandemic.  There should be something for everyone to enjoy!  Please do leave your comments and feedback – we would love to hear how you are getting on.

Peace Partners hopes you will enjoy our Peace and Positivity campaign. We hope that you will laugh, feel inspired to make positive changes and continue to support.