WHAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO ABOUT KIDNAPPING BY Adigun Habib Adeleke

_THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN CURBING DOWN KIDNAPPING IN THE COUNTRY_

The increasing growth of kidnapping in Nigeria has become a strong threat to national peace and most importantly, and Most importantly to the security of NIGERIA as a country. It has affected
the national image of the state and has eaten deep into every region and segment
of the nation. The Case of kidnapping has gone far beyond a regional problem or a particular political party Issue. There’s is no gain saying that the present Administration in Nigeria lack the etiquettes, procedure and manners in curbing down kidnapping in the country.

In Nigeria, kidnapping has grown to a level that fathers abducts son. Successful people,administrators and other top citizens are Also scared to move around the country because, if they do not kidnap them they go for their parents like the case of Michel Obi and others…..

Upon this circumstance, my write-up argues that one of the way of curbing down “KIDNAPPING” in the country is by;

1.PEACE BUILDING: Peace Building is a potent strategic tool
that can eliminates kidnapping and other
terror related crime from Nigeria by ensuring that violent actors and their
sponsors embrace peace while exploring other non-violent mechanisms for resolving such differences that trigger
kidnapping in the Nigerian state.

2. PEACE EDUCATION: peace education sets out to redress the culture of violence and aggression and to inculcatebvalues of non-violent change among young persons and adults alike. The Government should Enlighten citizens about the important, magnificent and roles of maintaining peace in the society because, It has been revealed by many
victims of kidnapping in Nigeria that many of the errand boys for the kidnappers are children. Therefore, peace education needs to be integrated into families as found in some school curricula in Nigeria. It would help to positively
transform the mind of such children in the apprentice of kidnappers to change behaviour while embrace other legitimate for sustainable livelihood.

3.INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY REINFORCED PEACE BUILDING: Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) reinforced peace building is vital in the counter-kidnapping peace process. ICT enhanced security
measures through forensic science and again, hi-tech media system could track-
down kidnappers at the blink of an eye. ICT packages like digital cameras and
smart phones would help people communicate their views, expose information about kidnappers and help the security networks to make counter-kidnapping
decisions etc.

4. SECURITY CONSCIOUSNESS RESTRICTION:The kind of security revolution agitated in this regards is the form that would include everybody being agent for secured
society. It is a form of consciousness in which the civilian citizenry would not only assist the police with vital security information but also would join in tracking-down the kidnappers by knowing the activities of neighbours and
movements within the environment.

5. STRENGTHENING JUDICIARY FOR RULE OF LAW AGAINST KIDNAPPING: Strengthening the judiciary will play a vast role in curbing down the act of kidnapping in the country. Furthermore, JUDICIARY is among the arms of government that can be left aside or back sited when it comes to making of Laws and they’re majorly the ones with the responsibility of implementing laws in the country. So by Strengthening them more, they will have the capacity, power and ability to lay down a strong punishment for anyone caught engaging him/herself into such atrocities

Note: KIDNAPPING and related terror activities which evolved to be a
security challenge in Nigeria developed from Niger-Delta region agitation to South-Eastern Nigeria, where it was turned into an economic industry. In the same vein, every
other region in Nigeria is witnessing the menace of kidnappers being used either as political weapon to outwit opponent or religious strategy as found in the Northern Nigeria by the Boko Haram. While kidnap ravage across Nigeria, it is traced to political parochialism that promote political violence, electoral fraud, bad governance andbreligious intolerance. All these culminate to denigrate the social conditions of Nigerians citizens especially the young people that are increasingly experiencing unemployment
and by extension susceptible to associate in crime economy.

Thank you……….

Voice of the voiceless

Dairy or life cares💯

EFFECT OF HAWKING ON FEMALE CHILD By SHUAIBU YAKUBU (SHUAEB_POETRY)

Street hawking in its simplest form, is the selling of things along the roads from one place to the other. In Nigeria this is done almost all the time by young children both males and females. The hawkers come to the cities in groups and then go to different directions of the city to hawk their goods. They remain in the city from early morning to late in the evening when they take buses back to their respective villages after the days sales.
Child Street hawking is one of the main forms of child labour. Others include: children work at building sites or on farms. Female child street hawking is common sight on streets in Nigeria today, especially in states like Lagos, Imo and Kano, street hawking has become rampant among residents of the states.
Young girls sell products such as boiled groundnut, fruits and chips that they carry on trays balanced on their heads. In recent months, the practice has been on the rise.
The increase is the result of spiraling poverty and the worsening economic situation. Street hawking has huge implications for childrens physical and emotional well-being. It exposes the girl child to sexual abuse, physical exhaustion, vehicle accidents, death and malnutrition and drug abuse and prostitution.
According to my research I found out that among the young girls who street hawk, there is low awareness of pregnancy or the risk of sexually transmitted infections.

If we say children are the leaders of tomorrow then Nigerias future leaders can be seen on dangerous highways peddling their wares from sausage rolls, chin-chin to sachet and table water respectively.

Increased poverty level and high rate of unemployment in the country today have forced many parents to indulge their kids in street hawking. Even though, in most cases these parents or guardians are aware of the dangers and the effects it poses to the life, psychology and future of the children.

The monthly income of some parents is so low to the extent that they struggle to pay their rents, buy foodstuffs at home and therefore find it rather convenient to make this children hawk goods on busy roads than to send them to school.

Street hawking poses a lot of dangers to the health and live of the Nigerian child such that in the process of selling their goods along these busy roads, they get exposed to reckless drivers, kidnappers, drug abuse, ritualists, malnutrition, and sexual abuse.

Due to these unhealthy exposures the ones who are fortunate enough to escape kidnappers or reckless drivers, grow into adulthood and end up as prostitutes, drug addicts, or thieves.

The solution to curbing child street hawking in Nigeria is for the government to discourage such practices. Poverty alleviation, health education, and solid protective child rights policies should be implemented in the constitution.

Increase in the federal minimum wage, provision of job opportunities and youth empowerment programmes would decrease the prevalence of child street hawking .

Establishment of affordable and accessible government schools, awarding of scholarships and implementation of a free education for all policy that will make education very easy to acquire.

Girl child street hawking opposes the UN CONVENTION on the right of the child Nigeria is a signatory to the convention, which was established in 1989. The convention makes it an offence to involve children in an activity which impacts negatively on their health and well-being. The convention also emphasizes the need for the government to protect children from exploitation.

In addition to the convention, Nigerias Child Right Act has similar provisions. It says “children should be protected from trafficking or street hawking”. But the implementation of these provisions has been abysmal to date. Children are still being trafficked and pushed into street hawking despite the many dangers associated with it.

The past the government has provided some structural interventions. These include the Universal Basic Educational programme; which Introduced in 1999. It was intended to guarantee tuition-free compulsory basic education for all children in Nigeria. But due to poor infrastructure, inadequate funding and lowering education standards the impact is yet to be felt.

Despite the emotional trauma and physical dangers these vulnerable children face, little has being done to protect them or to discourage such practices. Poverty alleviation, health education and protective child rights policies would decrease the prevalence of child street hawking.

The parents of the children who street hawk, should be empowered economically to be able to take care of them. But the government should also create awareness about child trafficking and provide affected children with support.

More importantly, the government must understand the psychological impact of this trade. It must tailor interventions to meet the needs of these children and to reduce the practice.

THANK YOU…….

#dairy of life

#voice of the voiceless

DEPRESSED SOUL. Written by Aisha abdullahi

— These whole thing frightens, we are depressed.
It felt like a choke deep the throat.
We sob in range while our pride is stolen away.

— Oh You Stranger!
If only you have feelings, your lust shouldn’t have slayed me.

— Enough is Enough!
We want to live our dreams while we defend our dignity.
We belong to somebody and we can’t give up.
We have rights, right not to be a victim

— I will stand with all my strength to defend humanity, while I battle everyday with fears far away from anxiety and depression.

— Though, darkness surrounds me as I weep while lonesomeness flows through my body.
A depressed soul I have become, let my voice be heard.

By Aisha abdullahi (twinkle)

#dairyoflife
#voiceofthevoiceless

Story by zainab abubakar (A member of diary of life) This story Is to highlight the influence of long time sexual abuse

I was eight when I had my first kiss, he was ten. We used to play together, not that I’d say we grew up together though, we lived in the same house for almost a year and half. I remember, how he used to tell us tales about his school, it was a private school, and to me, seemed to be much more interesting than the government school I attended. He told so many stories, that were always a first time to me. About how he made out with two of his classmates in the bathroom, and so many versions of similar stories. And I, always, looked forward to listening to his stories.

Once I asked him how he learnt all the things he told us about, “from mum and dad of course”, and then he’d go on and on about how sometimes, he snuck their blue movie to watch when they weren’t around, his parents were always at work. It started like this; little inconsistent gestures, hand grabbing that meant nothing, and then one day, without any prior notice, his lips were on mine.

I find it funny, how when relating this incident, it all seems like something the grown up version of myself wouldn’t believe ever happens, if I had not experienced it, one thing that took time for me to admit was I enjoyed it. Even though often times I did politely and shyly declined, he did have his way sometimes. And somehow, we knew when to stop, or there was always something cutting it short before we proceeded to any more touching. It was either my mother’s warning, I can still clearly hear them in my head, and I spent moments scared that I could get pregnant from the hand contact, lol.

So, how did it stop, completely, you might wonder. This friend of mine happened to have such a temper, it was virtually flared by the littlest of things. We had a fall out one certain day and that earned me a mark by a broken glass on my arms. Okay, I was shocked and angry, didn’t really expect him to go that far, after all wasn’t I his favorite friend. “eye roll”.

My parents still don’t know till this particular day what really happened, but they do know something happened, they never also got to find out how I sustained the injury on my arm.

Here’s what happened, the following week, we had a little gathering with the girls in my compound, up till this day, I don’t know who initiated this movement, but I remember being the lead suspect, afterall it was my handwriting on a piece of paper. We wrote him a warning letter, got to find out I wasn’t the only girl after all. That letter led to a meeting between our parents, we told him he was a bad influence and should steer clear off our path. The next month, his parents moved out.

I remember my mother asking if he touched me or not, and I lied, probably because I was scared of a punishment. I still wonder if I had told the truth, what exactly would have happened.

I hope we all enjoyed this story

This story Is to highlight the influence of long time sexual abuse
And highlight the problems of children who got introduced to sexual knowledge from strange sources other than their parents first
And certain parents carelessness, the story extends to a girl who grew up with anxiety
Who grew up with depression, and who felt as though all men were out to get her, since it started from quite an early age for her
There are so many reasons that will make a child not to be able to tell his parents such things. Perhaps the parents reaction will be worse than the situation the child is in already. So I suggest as parents, we should try as much to get close to our children, to always maintain calm demeanor when they do something that freaks us out, and we should adapt lecturing rather than instant punishment.
Considering this boys parent, they left their immoral things perhaps scattered in the house, for him to have gotten a hold of it, I suggest that we should also be careful of our behaviors around them. Children are naturally curious, and will sometimes delve into matters more than needed.
And most especially, a child’s mental health should be a top priority. We should pay attention alot to that, enquire and help them.

Please you can also follow us on our instagram account _dairy.of.life_

#voiceofthevoiceless #diary of life
Give voice to the voiceless,as we stand for the voiceless
#voiceofvoiceless #diaryblessedsoul #ayshaabdull
…….
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THE WALL AND THE BRIDGE

The wall and the bridge
One of the most beautiful spoken words I have always love
By dike chukuemereji
Dike Chukwumerije is a Nigerian spoken word and performance poetry artist and an award-winning author. The wall and the bridge If a white man turned and called  me “nigger”,My blood will boil in righteous anger.For the evil of discrimination is clearly established,When a white man tries to treat me like rubbish.But if Hausas say Igbos are greedy and crudeAnd Igbos say Hausa are haughty and rudeAnd the Ijaws say Itsekiri must die todayAnd Ezza tells  Ezilo, there is no other wayIf Yorubas declare it is Awo or nothingAnd we use “Federal character” to share everythingSo before you can even smile and tell me “Welcome”,You must first ask me where my father is from.If those who were settlers but now indigenes,Say those who are settlers can’t become indigenes,And the constitution says we are all citizensLocal government keeps issuing certificates of originIf my brother pass Jamb but can’t go to Uni,Because he is Tiv and he is not KanuriAnd Unimed has a quota for his catchment areaSo he must go back to Benue or wait one more year.If it’s ok to say it’s not ok to marry someoneJust because they are KalabariThat every tribe should have its own tideAre we not then practicing …Apartheid?If you cannot buy land unless you are native,And cannot find work unless you are native,And cannot feel safe unless you are native,How can we then say we are not primitive?Yet, you go to London and get their passport,Then settle wherever and however you want,You stand there and fight for equalityBut come back and start to use ethnicity.
I don’t get the logic of thinking of it is differentto be tribalistic and then to be racist,If you are happy to judge him just hearing his name,Whatever you call it my friend, it’s the same.When there is no courage to cross this divide,When there is no faith to look deep insideAnd stop judging accents and surnames and dressingThis fire we are quenching would only keep burning.Which nation can stand dividing its people?How can one build on foundation so brittle?If we cannot see ourselves in each otherThis journey ends here we are going no further.For when God made man, he gave him no facial marksHe did not make “Gbagi”, “Okun” or “Angas”As sure as a black man is just like a white man,No culture is older than being humanThis is the truth until we accept it,Our nation would stumble on its broken feet.For the same things that can bind us that drives us apart,For the wall and the bridge are both in the heart.

Happy independent to our country Nigeria

Lord we have all sinned
And fallen short of your glory
Look with pity on us
And grant us forgiveness
And the grace to pick up
The strands and rebuild ourselves
And especially this our country
In a spirit of self-abnegation
And unalloyed patriotism
So that those who trail
After us may have a heritage
Worthy of a people that you cherish.Lord bless and protect us from all harm
As we make frantic efforts to contribute
Towards more self-realizations
And join efforts to build our nation.
Lord make our country anew
Make it the Land of Promise
And the Land of glory
That our forefathers
Conceived and sang.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA
GOD BLESS AFRICA
GOD BLESS THE WORLD

AMEN

#dairy of life

CAN FEMINISM CHANGE THE WORLD? YES IT CAN By SHUAIBU YAKUBU (Shuaeb_poetry)

Despite what you’ve heard, feminism has nothing to do with hating men or discriminating against them. It’s also not about promoting female superiority or dominance of one gender over the other.

In fact, feminism is for everyone – men, boys, girls and women can proudly call themselves feminists because it means believing in the social, political and economic equality of all!
Right now, we need feminism because gender equality has still not been achieved anywhere in the world. Here in Nigeria Gender inequalit is influenced by different cultures and beliefs. In most parts of Nigeria, women are considered subordinate to their male counterparts, especially in northern Nigeria. It is generally believed that women are best suited as home keepers.[

Feminism had not appeared in Nigeria until roughly 40 years ago. This has been attributed to funmilayo ransome kuti. She was born in Nigeria, and was educated through the British schooling system. She supported and fought for women’s rights, as well as for women having a larger impact in the Nigerian government. She was a part of the WIDF women’s international democratic fedration, which helped more women to gain government positions, furthering what she wished to accomplish with women in Nigeria. Ransome-Kuti died in 1978. One of Nigeria’s well-known newspapers referred to her as “a progressive revolutionary” and “a Pan-African visionary.
Here in Nigeria, women still face a gender gap that leads to unequal pay and less opportunities, and in the many countries where we work, gender inequality often limits girl’s and women’s freedom to exercise their basic human rights to education, health and protection. This further perpetuates problematic global issues such as intergenerational cycles of poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence and high maternal and newborn mortality rates.
But through working together – men, boys, women and girls – we can create a just world where everyone has equal rights, opportunities and can reach their full potential!

3 WAYS FEMINISM CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Feminism is all about gender equality and if we want to ensure that everyone has the same fundamental rights, such as education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, livelihood and protection, then acknowledging that girls and women are denied these rights simply because of their gender is a crucial first step – we can’t move forward if half the population is held back!

Here are 3 major reasons why feminism can change the world:

1. WHEN GIRLS ARE EDUCATED AND EMPOWERED, THEY UPLIFT THEIR ENTIRE COMMUNITIES

If a girl is empowered with knowledge of her rights, has enough to eat, a safe environment free from gender-based violence, an education, and an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting her life and future, she’ll work to raise the standard of living for herself, her family and her entire community. In fact:

An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10 to 20 % and an extra year of secondary school by 15 to 25 %.

When a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, she marries 4 years later and has 2.2 fewer children.

According to some estimates a 1% increase in the level of women’s education generates 0.3% in additional economic growth (in a country).

nd there are many other benefits too.

Mothers reinvest more of their income back into their families. Educated mothers are less at risk of maternal health complications because they are better informed about disease, preventative measures and healthcare access.

In addition, educated mothers provide better nutrition and make better choices about their children’s future. They are also more likely to invest in and emphasize the importance of their children’s education when compared to mothers who did not receive an education.

2. DAMAGING GENDER STEREOTYPES HURT BOYS AND MEN TOO

A lot has been written and researched about how patriarchal societies – and toxic masculinity in particular – negatively affect the lives of girls and women by promoting female subordination, misogyny and sexual violence.

However, it’s also true that traditional ideas of masculinity such as being tough, competitive, aggressive, unemotional and stoic can cause boys and men to suffer too. Statistically, boys and men are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors like gang activity, unprotected sex and substance abuse. They also have overall shorter life expectancy rates and a higher rate of completed suicide. These stark realities signify that men and boys also stand to benefit from a world without gendered expectations.

In an equal world, boys and men are free to express themselves and be whoever they want without rigid limitation or fear of being tormented by male peers. For example, a loving stay-at-home dad who is supported by his wife would traditionally be frowned upon as “unmanly” in many parts around the world. In a gender equal world, however, it wouldn’t matter whether a man is a stay-at-home dad or a major executive that brings home a six-figure salary; the only thing that matters is that everyone has the capacity and opportunity to live the lives they want free from judgement and expectation.

3. TRUE EQUALITY UNLEASHES HUMAN POTENTIAL

When girls and women are empowered, humanity is empowered. Gender equality benefits us socially, economically, politically and even psychologically. Recent studies have shown that countries ranking higher on the gender equity scale are actually happier and wealthier too.

And when it comes to ending poverty, equality plays a crucial role. Right now, more than a billion people live on less than a $1.25 per day – 70% of them are women and girls. We can dramatically reduce this number by ensuring access to education, safe healthcare, equal pay and increasing women’s opportunities to succeed in business and own land (worldwide, less than 20% of landholders are women).

Furthermore, achieving gender equality will help reduce harmful practices against women and girls, including sex trafficking, femicide, wartime sexual violence and other oppression tactics such as forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Gender equality is intrinsically linked to sustainable development and is vital to the realization of human rights for all. The overall objective of gender equality is a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all spheres of life.

The road to true equality is going to be slow and painful, but everyone has a vital role to play in speaking out for change. Together, we can fight for and create a more just and equal world – not just for ourselves but for our children too.

Thank you
And also drop your comments on why feminism can change the world.
Remember
change is possible

it starts with you

HEALTH WAYS TO DEAL WITH AGGRESSIVENESS BY SHUAIBU YAKUBU (Shuaeb_poetry)

Aggression is a behavioral response to anger and can be harmful. This lesson will define aggressive behavior and discuss strategies that can be used to manage aggression in a healthy way and prevent it from resulting in violent behavior.

Road Rage

Aminu has always had difficulty managing his anger. As a teenager, it was not unusual for him to respond aggressively to situations that made him angry. He would frequently put his fist through doors, throw things, and raise his voice defensively. As an adult,  has tried to temper his emotions, but occasionally still falls into old habits.

Last month, aminu was driving to work. He was running late and was irritated at being stuck in traffic. Just as traffic eased up a bit, an elderly man in a Buick cut aminu off and caused him to miss the green light. Aminu was furious! He looked left, then right, and drove straight through the light in pursuit of the Buick. He caught up to the car, pulled in front of it, and slammed on the brakes. The man in the Buick crashed into the back of aminu’s car. Aminu got out, grabbed the man by the throat, and soon thereafter found himself in the back of a police car.

What is Aggression?
Aminu’s road rage is a prime example of aggressive behavior that’s out of control. Aminu’s inability to manage his emotions and anger end up getting him into trouble with the law. Aggression is a behavior that typically stems from anger. Anger is an emotion that is present in all of us.

Like aminu, none of us particularly like being cut off in traffic. Experiencing this event can invoke anger, but unlike aminu, most of us can diffuse this anger without aggressively responding to it. Experiencing anger is normal. It’s how we respond to this anger that determines whether it is adaptive and useful or maladaptive and detrimental. As a general guideline, an aggressive response to anger tends to be maladaptive.

Aggressive behavior can be obvious, such as aminu’s reaction to the driver, or it can be more subtle and hidden. An example of subtle aggression would be deliberately telling lies to hide the truth. In either case, aggressive behavior has significant potential legal consequences.

Healthy Ways of Dealing with Aggression

Because aggressive behavior can have severe consequences, it is important to find healthy ways to deal with aggression. Below are some methods that can help keep aggression in check

Breathe – use deep breathing techniques and meditation to relieve stress and diffuse anger

Force yourself to leave the situation. Take a time out, walk away, and avoid coming back too soon. Take a walk or go for a run.

Use visualization to calm down. Close your eyes and picture yourself in your favorite place.

Count to 10 (or 50… or 100) if you feel like you’re about to do or say something harmful. It’s a quick, easy way to separate yourself mentally from the situation.

Splash some cold water on your face.

Slow down and focus on your breathing. Conscious breathing involves taking slow, deep breaths in through your nose, and slowly out through your mouth.

Phone a friend. Do you have a supportive friend or family member who can lend an ear and calm you down?

Try to replace negative, angry thoughts with positive, rational ones. Even if you’re feeling upset, remind yourself that getting angry isn’t going to fix the way that you’re feeling.

Most importantly

Make time for yourself to de-stress and focus on an activity that makes you happy, whether that’s reading, spending time with friends, or whatever else. Getting enough exercise weekly can also help alleviate stress.

Practice relaxation techniques such as listening to soothing sounds or songs, or doing meditation or yoga.

Keep a journal or log about your anger. Record the feelings you experienced, what factors contributed to your anger and how you responded to it. Try to write down the thoughts that were going through your mind and the time, and then reflect on these instances and see if there’s any sort of pattern to your anger.

Think about the consequences that come with angry outbursts. Is your anger causing strain on your relationship? Scaring your children? Take time to reflect on how your anger could be affecting those around you.

Try to note any other emotions you’re feeling alongside anger. Are you feeling depressed? Frustrated? Confused?

I hope you enjoyed it
please drop your comments and contribution on what makes you aggressive  and what are those healthy things you do to calm your self

Thank you

Appreciate the little things in life BY SHUAIBU YAKUBU (Shuaeb_poetry)

What does it mean to appreciate the little things in life?
Appreciating the little things in life involves focusing our attention on what is pleasurable, nurturing, and sustaining in our lives and away from those events that are annoying, frustrating, or hurtful. It means practicing gratitude for those everyday things that are easy to take for granted or miss altogether. Adopting this outlook won’t stop negative events from occurring, but it may help prevent us from over-emphasising their importance in our lives.

What do we know about gratitude?
Gratitude research is a relatively new, but fascinating area of study. The practice of keeping a gratitude journal, further explored below, is one area that has been evaluated. Studies have been conducted in which participants who kept gratitude journals were compared to those who did not or those who kept a record of daily hassles. greater propensity to help others, and even exercising more.

How else will this build my resilience?
Developing skills in experiencing and expressing gratitude can help us connect with others. When we take the time to appreciate an act of kindness from a loved one or even a stranger we become more fully aware of our connectedness within our community, and the positive regard others have for us. Reciprocating these kind actions further cements these social bonds which we then have as a resource to draw on in times of need.

How does positive emotion relate to our mental health?
Positive emotions have been shown to be linked to good physical health. According to some researchers people who experience positive emotions are likely to live longer, enjoy better immune functioning, and recover more effectively from treatment for heart disease. It’s not just our physical resilience that is affected by positive emotions, our psychological wellbeing can be assisted also. Theory has it that when we experience positive emotions we are able to think and behave more creatively and flexibly than when we experience negative emotions. This ‘broadening’ of the way we think and act builds resources for us that we are able to use in more difficult times. Many studies have shown that resilient individuals experience positive emotions and that they use these emotions to help them cope with difficult situations. There are many things we can do to enhance and increase the presence of positive emotions for us. Learning how to appreciate the little things in life is one good way.

What can I do to appreciate the litle things in life?
Here are three ideas you might like to try in order to develop your ability to appreciate the little things in life.

  1. Waking up in a safe, warm place and realizing you are alive, breathing and have a new day in front of you.

  2. Watching the steam coming off of a hot cup of coffee or tea before taking the first sip.

  3. Soft morning light coming through the windows.

  4. The intricate detail of trees and the way they sound blowing in the wind.

  5. The joy and presence of your pets as they go about their day and how happy they are when you give them your attention.

  6. The quiet chatter of other people in a coffee shop, on a train or bus.

  7. When someone genuinely asks how your day is going.

  8. The sound of a loved one’s laughter.

  9. Having access to nutritious, delicious food.

  10. The ability to move, think, read and write.

  11. Efforts our loves once put to see us smile

  12. The calming sensation of watching water flow by.

  13. Hugging a loved one.

  14. Taking a deep breath outside in the evening (no matter the temperature).

That’s our list – what’s yours? In what ways can you appreciate the little things in life? Leave a comment and let us know what makes you slow down and feel happy to be alive.

#voice of the voiceless

Happy pills can be dangerous and do more harm than good by SHUAIBU YAKUBU (Shuaeb_poetry)

Being happy is important but is taking drugs to be happy worth it

Please take your time and let me know if u still want to take happy pills

commonly prescribed in the UK – do more harm than good, researchers claim, and their use should be severely curtailed.

Psychiatrists disputed the latest findings, arguing that they have been safely used for years and offer a lifeline for depressed people. But the study suggests that the risk of death when taking them is much greater than previously thought – among those who do not have heart disease – because they thin the blood.

Scientists at McMaster University in Canada combined the results from 17 previous studies, analysing the impact on nearly 380,000 people. Their analysis suggested just a 9 per cent increased risk of death among those who took antidepressants when compared to those who did not– a result they admitted was not statistically significant. But they then removed the people suffering from cardiovascular disease from the findings, and found the chance of death among the remaining patients jumped to 33 per cent.

Scientists believe this is because antidepressants are also a blood thinner, which protects the health of people with heart disease because it stops blood clotting. However, among people without heart disease, it increases the risk of a major haemorrhage or internal bleeding.

Study leader Paul Andrews said. ‘We are very concerned by these results. They suggest that we shouldn’t be taking antidepressant drugs without understanding precisely how they interact with the body. I think these drugs for most people are doing more harm than good and physicians ought not to generally prescribe them.’

The researchers found that among people who do not have cardiovascular disease, taking antidepressants increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 14 per cent.😔

The use of antidepressants is dramatically increasing, with 64.7million prescriptions given out in England last year – double the number of a decade ago.😟

One in 11 of all British adults are thought to have recently used the pills.🤷🏿‍♂️

Professor David Baldwin, a psychiatrist at Southampton University and chairman of the psychopharmacology committee of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: ‘Unfortunately this study has major flaws. Depressed patients have higher risks of a range of physical health problems, all of which carry a risk of increased mortality, and antidepressants are often prescribed for a range of problems other than depression, including chronic pain and insomnia which also increase mortality. So with this I hope we now know the dangers of happy pills Let be careful let stay safe and find Better better ways to be happy 💯

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