With Christmas looming and the pressure for endless shopping perpetrated by Black Friday, we’re joining the #CitizenFriday campaign and we’re inviting you to take part too.
#CitizenFriday was started last year by the Re-Action Collective as an antidote to Black Friday. A hopeful alternative to consumerism focused on encouraging everyone to connect with each other, share skills, swap items, build communities and enjoy nature.
Inspired by this and the belief that we all have an important part to play in working together to make the world a better place, we’re also suggesting a different approach to Black Friday this year.
By taking three simple steps, not only can you make an important contribution to social cohesion and the environment, you’ll be boosting your own health and happiness. Let’s:
Resist – stop buying, start thriving
Reconnect – with what you really care about
React – what are you going to do?
Resist
Switch off from the marketing hype and tricks aimed at increasing the amount we consume. Whether it is Christmas gifts for our loved ones or the pursuit of that ‘perfect’ chocolate box Christmas Day scene, we all know that deep down, these are not the things that make us happy and indeed often have the opposite effect.
Increased consumption causes stress to our bank accounts (and therefore us) and, even more importantly, it harms our planet. Although at the time of writing, we’ve not seen the upcoming documentary on Netflix, The Shopping Conspiracy, if the trailer is anything to go by, it will be a stark reminder of the impact of each and every purchase we make.
The bottom line is that we are not just consumers and we don’t have to sit passively while this all goes on around us. We can take action and do something positive both for ourselves and for society.
So let’s resist buying for the sake of buying. Tune out of the TV ads, scroll past them on our phones and instead use our time and effort to reflect and reconnect with what really matters.
Reconnect
When we think about what makes us happy and what we care about, we can make a conscious choice to spend our time and effort in a different way which can bring about positive changes both for us and the world around us.
Take some time to stop and reflect:
- What do you really care about?
- What’s most important to you?
- What ideas, skills and experience could you draw on to make a difference to these things?
- What will you do?
Whether it’s spending more time with friends and family, enjoying nature, supporting your local community or volunteering for a charity or cause that’s close to your heart, whatever you decide to do to reconnect with yourself and the people and world around you, can help you find a more meaningful purpose in life and feel happier.
Here are a few reflections from a survey of our volunteers when asked what they value about their volunteering:
“The chance to share my skills, developed over decades, and support good causes, gives me an increased sense of purpose and connection to the communities around me.”
“The personal growth and satisfaction derived from seeing the positive impact of my efforts are incredibly rewarding. Volunteering not only enhances my professional skills but also enriches my personal life by building relationships and understanding diverse perspectives”.
“It’s a great opportunity to set an example for my children and others by contributing to society in areas that benefit our communities. Plus, there is the personal satisfaction of making a difference. The person in the mirror will find satisfaction from your efforts as will the beneficiaries of your charity.”
React
So why not take action and make the conscious decision to help shape a better world? If volunteering your skills for a charity or group you care about is on your action list, here are 4 ideas for how you can get started:
- Search the Reach Volunteering platform to find social purpose organisations looking for volunteers to support them. There are usually over 2,000 opportunities available at any one time, with hundreds more added each week. Didn’t find something you like? Save your search and Reach will email you when new roles come in that fit the bill.
- Create a volunteer profile. Tell organisations a bit about yourself, the sort of opportunity you’d like, and the causes you’re interested in. Organisations can then get in touch if they’re looking for someone with your skills and passions.
- Help out in your local community. Whether it’s a neighbour who’s struggling or a local group that needs support, do what you can to help.4. Spread the word. Share this blog and our social media posts. Talk to friends and family. Help others feel empowered by taking action too.
By taking these steps, you’ll not only be on your way to finding a rewarding and fulfilling opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to a cause you care about, but you’ll also be fuelling the movement for action to help tackle the most important issues in society today.
Whether the action you take involves the climate and nature crises, poverty, domestic violence, discrimination, deficiencies in health and social care or structural injustices, or something more personal, by coming together and taking action we can tune out the negative messages in the world around us and make a positive difference. Join us and encourage others to do the same.
Browse the opportunities available on Reach now: https://reachvolunteering.org.uk/i-want-volunteer
Find out more about #CitizenFriday at https://re-action-collective.org/
