Have affirmations and manifestation had a trendy new rebrand? Or is there something more to the new #LuckyGirlSyndrome trend taking over TikTok?

We’re constantly finding new ways to rebrand our habits, experiences, and ourselves. #LuckyGirlSyndrome has taken over as the latest trend, with over 396 million views, as of February 13 2023. In recent times we’ve seen buzzwords like quiet thriving, halo and horn syndrome, and even quiet quitting gain traction. But are these just shiny new words to describe everyday behaviours, habits and reactions? Or is there really something behind the latest trend that can help us to make meaningful changes in our lives?

What is lucky girl syndrome?

Lucky girl syndrome started taking off in popularity in early 2023. Hailed as a new way of manifesting your goals, in essence, it uses affirmations (positive statements that impact how we think and behave) to influence what our minds focus on and to refocus on positive self-talk over negative.

Find out more about what affirmations are and do they really work.

The goal is often centred around having everything work out the way that you’re hoping it will - whether that’s having career opportunities open up, monetary success, or just believing good things will happen to you. Assume success and positive outcomes, and things will start to work out.

Some believe there’s neuroscience behind how lucky girl syndrome works. As some experts have pointed out, lucky girl syndrome can be seen as a rebranding of positive affirmations – a tool known for helping shift our mindsets and achieve specific goals, but not something in and of itself that can act as a magic ‘insta-fix’ or ‘cure-all’.

Regularly practising positive affirmations can help us to trick our brains into thinking we are actually experiencing something. It’s why you might feel more excitement in the run-up and planning stages of a holiday than you do on the actual vacation itself. Or why if you’re really anxious about an interview, creating a mental image of it going well can trick parts of your brain into thinking it has actually had a positive experience. Doing this over and over can help you to avoid self-sabotaging thoughts, behaviours, or habits, helping open you up for success.

Find some light in the dark with these positive news stories

Social enterprise cooks up tasty support for kinship families

According to the charity Family Rights Group, more than 180,000 children across the UK are being cared for by their kin – a grandparent, other relative, or family friend – due to their parents being unable to care for them. And while it’s an instinctive choice to make, it is a life-altering role that can come with many unique challenges.

Social worker Anna-Lou Manca has witnessed many kinship carers face financial and emotional difficulties over the course of her career, and it was for this reason that she founded Kinship Carers Hub in 2020 – a social enterprise on a mission to help kinship carers get the support they need to fulfil such a rewarding role.

The hub runs many projects – from employment opportunities to webinar training – which are all designed to provide guidance and support to kinship families, but their main project, Kinship Carers Cooking Club, is one combating social isolation through the power of food.

Each week, kinship families come together to cook and eat a meal, provided by the hub. Aside from the practical support provided through receiving groceries on a weekly basis, and learning about healthy, budget-friendly recipes, it also offers the opportunity to bond and access peer-to-peer support. One carer says: “It has allowed the children to see there are other children in the same situation as themselves, to show them that they aren’t alone.”

If you would like support as a kinship carer, visit kinshipcarershub.org

Workplace bullying survivor launches campaign for new UK law

The effects of workplace bullying can last a lifetime, chipping away at our confidence and undermining our self-esteem. But Skevi Constantinou, one woman who has been there herself, has come out the other side, and is ready to call for major change to protect others.

The former executive assistant was targeted at work over her chronic autoimmune condition, to the point where she eventually felt afraid to go into the workplace. And, sadly, she’s not alone. But despite Trades Union Congress (TUC) figures that found nearly a third of people have been bullied at work, with more than one in three people going on to leave their job because of it, workplace bullying is not currently recognised as a crime by UK law, leaving the door open for the perpetrators to get away with this behaviour.

“This affects millions of people, not just in the UK but globally,” Skevi says. “It’s so important that these people are represented and not made to feel that this is normal – to go to work and be treated that way. Bullies need to be stopped in the workplace.”

She points to Sweden as an example of a country that already has laws that specifically prohibit bullying in the workplace.

“We all deserve to go to work and be respected in a safe environment,” she says. “Whilst my own experiences have shaped me in

Claire Titmus, author of ‘The Crystal Year’, shares her monthly affirmations for 2023  

The seasonal cycles of the year often affect our focus, natural rhythms, and physical and mental wellbeing throughout the 365 days. This has been observed since time began, and even led to the full moons receiving their celestial and spiritual names, due to different poignant nature-driven activities. Affirmations are a wonderful way to help you focus in alignment with this energy, offering you emotional support or encouragement when you need a dose of positivity.

The meaning ‘to affirm’ is to state something out loud. To give yourself the confirmation that you are speaking the truth, to affirm to your mind that you believe in the power of the words being spoken.

Whilst you can practice these affirmations at times of meditation, during relaxation, or as part of a ritual, know that keeping them to hand to read out when you need to is absolutely fine. In fact, keeping it simple and bringing them into your day-to-day routine will make them even more beneficial, as the words will be associated with activities you and your mind are familiar with.

The following affirmations have been chosen to use in the given month, however, if you feel drawn to one at any other time, just go with it. You know you best.

• January - Associated with a fresh start – “I am strong, capable and resilient. I am determined to build the life that I aspire to. I deserve the best.”
• February – Associated with love – “I am deserving of genuine friendships and love. I am loved and I love everything about my beautiful self.”
• March – Associated with new beginnings – “I am ready for spring, the signs of new growth and life remind me of the new possibilities ahead of me. I am ready to grow.”
• April – Associated with cleansing – “I am ready to let go of what no longer serves me, and welcome new opportunities in abundance.”
• May – Associated with growth – “I feel empowered to live, learn and grow. My challenges are opportunities that will feed me wisdom.”
• June – Associated with gratitude – “All that I desire is manifesting. I am grateful for the abundance flowing my way.”
• July – Associated with adventure and travel – “I attract my dream opportunities with ease. July is an amazing month for new experiences for me.”
• August – Associated with regen

We all get that Monday feeling. Here are nine ways you can start your week with a more positive spin, and kick your productivity into high gear

That first day back at work after your weekend. Urg. Is there anything worse? Even if you love your job (and you’re a morning person), there’s something about dragging yourself out of bed and trying to get back into the work mindset that makes a surprising percentage of us feel anxious, lethargic, and reluctant to get started.

According to one survey, nearly 62% of us dread Mondays more than any other day of the week. We feel more tired, and even spend longer complaining on a Monday, thanks to making the most of late nights, no alarm clocks and weekend lie-ins (which can throw your body clock off), not to mention over-indulging in takeaways, meals out, and alcohol (which can leave our bodies struggling to keep up).

But what if we didn’t need to start our week off with a reluctant sigh and an excessively large coffee to get through the day? What if there was a way to kickstart your week with a boost of positivity and productivity, to help you actually look forward to your week ahead?

1. Set yourself up for success

Getting your week off to the right start can take a little bit of planning – but it’s more than worth it. Take time out at the end of your last working day to create a quick-start to-do list for your first morning back. This could just be a few bullet points of urgent tasks to take a look at, a couple of notes on any outstanding emails or comms you are waiting on ready to chase up, or an outline ready to prep yourself for a morning full of meetings.

The afternoon and evening before you head back to work are just as important. Sunday night anxiety can feel like it steals precious weekend hours from us, as we lose time to doom-scrolling, give in to the temptation to get a head start on emails, or lay awake late into the night, dreading the week ahead. To avoid the negative night-before cycle, try and do something physical. Go for a long walk, cycle, or swim. Exercise can boost our mood and improve our physical health, as well helping you to physically feel ready to fall asleep that little bit earlier.

If there’s an underlying feeling of anxiety, worry or dread, don’t ignore it. Take some time to think and ask yourself: What is it that is worrying me? Is this something I can fix now? Writing things down can be a big help, and can also be handy in tracking any unhelpful patterns or habits that you may way to address.

2. Take things slowly

Just because you’ve had a couple of days off, doesn’t mean you have to come back feeling 110% and ready to go. Be kind to yourself. Take time to catch up on emails or chat with colleagues to find out more about new tasks and priorities. Work through your to-do list. If you can, schedule in some planning

It's easy to let bad news overwhelm us, so break the cycle with these uplifting news stories from the past month

1. UK’s first brand for people under 4’10” hits the runway

It all started when Chamiah Dewey was a team leader on the National Citizen Service programme, in the summer of 2018. One of the young people in her group had achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Chamiah saw the challenges the young person had navigating a world not built for people like them, so when she went on to study at the London College of Fashion, she began to research what kind of clothes were available for those under 4’10”, and found a dire selection.

“From the hundreds of people I have spoken to of short stature, and other disabilities, it is a common theme that they struggle with their self-esteem, because the clothing they have to wear isn’t accessible or designed for their body,” Chamiah told Happiful. “Not only do they have to deal with the fact that clothing isn’t adaptive, and often they have to have help getting dressed, clothing is also uncomfortable to wear and unflattering. They also don’t feel seen and heard by the fashion industry. We’ve gained some inclusivity, yet we’ve still forgotten about the 2.3% of people who are short stature.”

And so Chamiah Dewey Fashion was born – a brand that creates timeless, elegant clothing for those under 4’10”. And the range is already making waves.

“As we become more well-known, feedback stays just as positive,” Chamiah said. “We’re really excited to make a difference, because there are 200 million people worldwide waiting for clothing designed for their bodies.”

2. From 2025, all new buildings and homes in Tokyo will be required to have solar panels.

3. Retired police dog, Logan, who survived being shot three times, is being honoured with a lifetime achievement award.

4. Festive favourite Quality Street has made a move to become more eco-friendly, by swapping its famous, vibrant plastic wrappers for a recyclable wax paper, to help to reduce the 2 billion sweet wrappers going to landfill each year.

5. Three in four dads feel it’s their responsibility to know about menstrual cycles

The teenage years can be a challenging time – for teens and their parents. Knowing when, and in how much detail, to talk about topics such as puberty and menstruation can leave many parents feeling out of their depth and, for some dads, make them feel the need to turn to others for help. However, according to new data from intimate