However which way you look at it, the world feels overwhelming and daunting right now. Which is exactly why we wanted to start this Happy Hour blog series – to try our best to carve out a little corner of the internet, filled with all of the things that have made us smile, laugh, or have otherwise comforted us this week.
So whilst pubs may be off-limits, why not grab a beverage of your choice (whether that be a cosy tea, or something stronger!) and enjoy catching up on 5 things that brought the Donr team some happiness and light this week. Then, head to our Twitter and use #HappyHour to let us know what made you smile this week. 🌻
1) Dogs + leaves = the ultimate joy!
Our Project Manager Sam L shared with us the following video, strongly suggesting that it is the best video currently doing the rounds on social media.
And, well, it’s kind of hard to disagree! If you like dogs – especially silly, crazy doggos – then this video is bound to put a smile on your face. P.S. Stick with it until the Go Pro footage at 0:52 seconds. It’s worth it!
we all – and i cannot stress this enough – need this right now. possibly the greatest short film ever made. pic.twitter.com/FzvtrmC70D
— Hannah Jane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) March 16, 2020
2) Picking up new hobbies
Working from home for a prolonged period of time has both its pros and cons – with one major pro being that little bit of extra time you gain when you’d normally be commuting.
Notorious in the office for her hatred of all things running(!), our Head of Partnerships Sam M has bitten the bullet this week to hit the pavement for her first two jogs. Armed with a funky new pair of trainers, we see this as proof that this period is a great chance to try something new, no matter your preconceptions, and see what benefits it might bring. Go Sam! 🎉
Whether you’re choosing to spend this extra time running, reading, walking, relaxing or just catching a few extra Z’s – we’re virtually high-fiving you for keeping your mind happy, healthy and charged whilst WFH.
3) Fun facts from The Happy Newspaper
We’ve long been fans of The Happy Newspaper and the work they do year-round to celebrate all that’s good/fun/inspiring about the world – an inspiration to us as we launch our very first installation of Happy Hour with this blog post.
We loved this random fact about Diego the 100-year-old tortoise as much as we loved the cute doodle of Diego himself! Do give @thehappynewspaper a follow on Instagram for plenty more feel-good content and uplifting quotes, too.
4) You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…
So it’s a good job that Mark’s dogs are only young pups! Meet Winnie, our Infrastructure Developer’s one-year-old black and grey miniature schnauzer.
And if you look even closer, you’ll be able to spot Olive too – the adorable five-month-old pup hiding to Winnie’s left.
Since Team Donr are now all working from home, Mark has let on that he’s trying to train up the pups in some beginners’ coding to help lighten his workload. How’s that working out, you ask? “Not well – Winnie’s no good with bugs of any kind!” says Mark.
You couldn’t ask for cuter work from home buddies!
5) Top tips for dealing with anxiety right now
And although we’re banishing that C-word from our Happy Hour blog posts, we do feel the need to be practical, too.
Our lovely friend Tereza (of Lightful, and founder of #ReclaimSocial) has written a brilliant blog post, sharing some top tips about managing anxiety throughout this difficult period – particularly for those working in social media and/or comms.
We’re taking a leaf out of her book when it comes to tip number 3 “Make your feed more positive” with Happy Hour. We also want to thank #ReclaimSocial for being one of our biggest inspirations when it comes to spreading more positivity online!
You’ll find her post on Medium right here. Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us, Tereza!
Thank you to everyone who has read, inspired, or contributed towards our first instalment of Happy Hour – we’ll be back this time next week (10am on Friday) with more uplifting content for you all. Stay safe everyone and keep on smiling.
