Dear AfH Chapters,

Wow, we are facing a big challenge as a global human family! So firstly, I hope you and your loved ones are managing to stay calm, safe and well in these anxious and uncertain times.

I wanted to share a brief update from Action for Happiness about how this crisis is affecting our work and some of the ways we're responding. I strongly believe that our AfH community can play a vital role right now.

Hopefully you are saw the pre-emptive recommendations we shared over a week ago www.actionforhappiness.org/news/covid-19-how-to-respond  In line with this, we've sadly had to cancel hundreds and hundreds of face-to-face AfH courses, events, get-togethers etc, which is a huge disappointment for everyone involved.

But we've also been busy developing some exciting new tools to help people in the crisis...

#1 Coping Calendar
We've launched a new "Coping Calendar" with 30 actions people can take to boost wellbeing in light of the current crisis (e.g. when self-isolating). It's already getting a great response.
www.actionforhappiness.org/coping-calendar
This will also become the basis for our April calendar when we hope to have our normal translations into 15+ languages.

#2 - Email-based coaching program
We've also launched a new free interactive, email-based coaching program called 10 Days of Happiness. Each day, users receive new ideas from the science of positive psychology and discover new ways to boost wellbeing for themselves and others. The program is currently available via our IDOH site (see below), but will also be shared more widely with the AfH community beyond this too.

#3 - International Day of Happiness (20 March)
We have adapted our IDOH campaign in light of the crisis, based around the key message: Keep Calm. Stay Wise. Be Kind
In addition to promoting that message, our campaign site (which will get LOTS of traffic tomorrow) is focused on sharing the new Coping Calendar and new 10 Days of Happiness program as above: www.dayofhappiness.net

Next week, once the immediate aftermath of cancellations and IDOH are out of the way, we will turn our attention to how we can move some of our face-to-face stuff into the online world. For example, we're hoping to experiment with developing online Get-Togethers (e.g. via Zoom call) that our local leaders can run for participants in their local communities.

I hope this update is helpful for you and the wider communities of AfH supporters in your countries. Please feel free to pass this information on if you feel it will be helpful.

Stay strong friends. And thanks for all you're doing to support the AfH mission. Our work is needed now perhaps more than ever before! We can all make a big difference :)

Warmest wishes
Mark

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Dr Mark Williamson
Director, Action for Happiness