The Happy Newspaper at Community Calm!

This week in our free Community Calm session at The Old Library (L13), we tried something a little bit different.

After a gentle mindfulness meditation, where we focused on noticing areas of tension in the body and allowing them to soften, we were ready to move into something a bit more playful and uplifting.

We introduced The Happy Newspaper by Emily Coxhead — a beautiful publication filled with positive stories and hopeful happenings from around the world. If you’ve never come across it before, it really is a little gem!

Working in pairs, everyone spent time exploring their copy together, noticing what stood out or resonated. We gave each pair a few things to look out for — such as a story that made them smile, something that sparked hope, or anything that felt especially joyful or uplifting.

This activity came directly from conversations we’ve had in recent sessions. Some of us had been sharing how overwhelming and anxiety-inducing the news can feel at times — and how easy it is to get caught in that. So we wanted to gently offer an alternative.

It also linked beautifully with the themes we’ve been exploring lately around positive emotions like hope, optimism, joy and gratitude — and the important role they play in supporting our wellbeing.

At the end of the session, we came back together as a group to share some of the stories that had stood out. There was laughter, thoughtful reflections, new perspectives — and even a few moving moments.

All from simply slowing down and exploring something positive, together.

Fancy joining a Community Calm session? Pop over to Eventbrite to book your space.