Ways I'm Trying To Be A Better Person In 2020

The recent General Election has given me a lot of food for thought. The problem with being very active on social media during an election campaign, especially one which has been so divisive, is that you've got the opinions of thousands of people - many wildly varied - thrown at you in a matter of minutes. That can get pretty overwhelming, and for me, it made it all the more difficult to make an informed decision about where my vote should be placed.

So, I researched. I read manifestos. I looked at statistics. I took the quizzes based on policy. While I did the researching and reading, I closed down Twitter and skipped past Insta stories that voiced political views. Just temporarily, while I figured it out for myself. I then went back to social media later, and I looked at people's stories and experiences as I scrolled. I ended up with so much to think about, I found myself completely struck by the stories of those who have relied on food banks, or those who have struggled to feed their kids, or those who have had their disability benefits cut.

I completely appreciate that I'm late to the party, and I am potentially opening myself to be told how ignorant I have been. But it has put everything in rather harsh perspective. And while I don't agree with the General Election results even the tiniest bit, I woke up the morning after we went to the polls, checked the results on my phone and immediately went to Twitter. And as I scrolled, my heart broke for those who had posted about how fearful they were for their livelihoods and the futures of their children.

I can't change the result, but what I can do is play a small part in helping those who are vulnerable. In recent weeks I have realised that, in my position of relative privilege, I haven't been doing enough. So I'll be making it a focal point in 2020 and beyond to do more, and generally be a better person. Here's how I plan to do it.

1. Give to charity. 
My charity donations have fallen by the wayside over the last year or so, but it's something I definitely want to set up again. A fiver coming out of my wages each month is nothing, and I'm pretty certain I can cut back on one Starbucks over the course of the month to make up for it. BUT I'm going to be really mindful on which ones I set up direct debits for - I'm currently thinking of ones which help children living below the breadline or a homelessness charity, but it's something I'll be researching over the next couple of weeks.

2. Donating to food banks.
This one is such a simple habit to start but makes such a difference to so many people. Every time I visit the supermarket, I'm going to pick up a couple of extra tins or packets of pasta or tube of toothpaste or shower gel, and drop it in to the food bank box at the tills. Easy, done. Where the supermarket doesn't have a donation box, I'll bring it home and start a stash, and when I have a bag full or two of things, I'll drop them off at a local food bank.

3. Thinking more environmentally friendly.
This will be another where I'm going to try to make small changes. Things like getting reusable cotton pads and a bamboo toothbrush and try to leave the car at home more and walk/get the train places. I've become such a slave to my car since passing my test, so it’s going to be a tough habit to break but I’m going to make a real effort!

4. Find a way to help causes for homelessness.
Homelessness is a real issue where I live in Lincoln, and I know that homelessness has been on the rise across the country. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do this yet, as I know people are actively told not to give people money, but I'm going to start looking into charities/causes that I can support who tackle homelessness locally. Again, something I need to do some research on but it is definitely on my radar!

Again, they're all small changes. But I think if lots of people make small changes, there could be a big impact. So that's what I'm going to do.

Love,
Sian xo