Hello I’m Vaaruni Nayak, a Young Happy Minds Ambassador and a Kung Fu Panda fanatic! I want to share a few cookies of wisdom I salvaged after watching the trilogy! P.S. (Don’t tell Monkey!) Perched on my bed with a bag of delicious lightly salted Doritos and a bowl of hot salsa, I reached out for the mouse and with a quick click here and there, the much-awaited movie finally came on. I simply cannot help but do a rerun of the Kung Fu Panda series once in awhile – the heart-wa

Hi, my name is Emma and I´m one of the YHM young ambassadors. Here are my thoughts and observations on young people and relationships. No doubt one you’ve asked yourself, who might your first kiss be with and when might it happen. You might have it all planned out with that person you’ve had a crush on for months or maybe you’re just waiting for the right person to come along, but however it may happen it shouldn’t be out of peer pressure or society's expectations. I’m 18 yea

What an amazing week this has been!!! But before I explain why, let's start with a quiz: "Where do Human Rights Activists dance (literally) with state leaders?" This week, Young Happy Minds has been at The Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF). This event was described by The Economist as "the human-rights equivalent of the Davos economic forum". But it is still a bit of a hidden gem in Norway (which is another reason why I wanted to write about it). This mind-blowing event surely deserve

Vaaruni (14) shares a story of kindness about helping those around us that'll inspire you to do the same! “Thank you…” he said, his eyes wide with confusion and pleasant surprise. He hobbled over to the seat and sat down carefully, sighing in fatigue. I made my way to the closing doors and stood, holding the yellow, metal pole. A slow smile grew on my lips. I felt like my heart was singing with joy and a warm feeling spread inside me. It was happiness. The kind that makes you

I'm Emma, I'm 18 and this is my best friend and some of things we've been through together. Friendship is an incredible thing, it’s what connects us with the people around us and they are one of the most important relationships in our lives. They are the people that stick by us in tough times, the ones that laugh at our bad jokes and buy the ice cream when we get our hearts broken. Friends are amazing things but there’s nothing worse than seeing them in pain when you can’t do

My name's Emma I'm 18 and this is one of my little happiness hacks to help when times get a little bit tough. Spring cleaning is not something I can say I typically do, I might hoover once a month and god knows the last time I cleaned the windows. I’m quite a messy person, I have clothes all over the floor, mugs on the bedside table and dust on the bookshelves, and I bet your own room isn’t much different. We’ve got better things to do then clean our rooms, or we like to thin

Hello! My name’s Emma (18) and I’m taking part in the Being Grateful experiment. The idea is to spend a few minutes every day for a week to think about what you’re grateful for and see the difference that can make. This is the last post in the series on what being grateful means to me. Friday I am grateful for everything After a week of sitting back and thinking about what I’m thankful for I realise that it’s everything. From my family and friends to my favourite band and you

Hello! My name’s Emma (18) and I’m taking part in the Being Grateful experiment. The idea is to spend a few minutes every day for a week to think about what you’re grateful for and see the difference that can make. This is the seventh post of a short series on what being grateful means to me. So here goes! Thursday I grateful of where I work I’ve mentioned before I work or rather volunteer in a charity shop and this week marks a year since I started. In that time I’ve learnt

Hello! My name’s Emma (18) and I’m taking part in the Being Grateful experiment. The idea is to spend a few minutes every day for a week to think about what you’re grateful for and see the difference that can make. This is the sixth post of a short series on what being grateful means to me. So here goes! Wednesday I am grateful for a good book I’ve always loved reading, ever since I picked up an Agatha Christie for the first time. You can always find a book beside my bed and

Hello! My name’s Emma (18) and I’m taking part in the Being Grateful experiment. The idea is to spend a few minutes every day for a week to think about what you’re grateful for and see the difference that can make. This is the fifth post of a short series on what being grateful means to me. So here goes! Tuesday I am grateful that my mum understands me. I’m an argumentative person and one with probably too many options but I’m lucky that my mum always listens to me. Whether I