Five uplifting moments from the past week to boost your mood on World Mental Health Day

As the days get shorter, the cost of living crisis weighs heavier, and the war in Ukraine rages on, it’s more important than ever to take stock of how we are all feeling.

World Mental Health Day, which falls on 10 October, is an opportunity to do just that – encouraging people across the world to speak out about their struggles and to support others doing the same.

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And whilst we appreciate the complexities of individual issues and understand that adorable dog videos and funny memes won’t make everyone feel better, we’d like to offer at least some people a mood boost by rounding up some heartwarming content from the past week.

This year's Nobel Peace Prize was an up-yours to President Putin

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize went to representatives from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, making it a poignantly symbolic choice.

Jailed Belarusian activist Ales Byalyatski, Russian rights group Memorial and Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties were the winners of the accolade, in a move that was celebrated across the world.

The award, announced on Vladimir Putin’s 70th Birthday, was hailed as a high-profile condemnation of the Russian President and his ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

Of course, the atrocities continue, and we are a long way from celebrating the end of the worst conflict in Europe since World War Two, but the prize is a reminder of the importance of solidarity and peaceful co-existence.

"It is not one person, one organisation, one quick fix," Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen said after the announcement.

"It is the united efforts of what we call civil society that can stand up against authoritarian states and, or, human rights abuses."

In other words, it offered a message of hope and faith that good will conquer evil in the end.

Ukrainian woman reunited with dog who went missing during shelling

Admittedly less internationally significant, it was still heartening to see another small victory on the side of Ukraine.

A woman in the city of Kherson thought she’d never see her beloved dog Jack again after he went missing during recent shelling by Russian forces.

Jack was gone for around a month following the attack, before K9 Global Rescue group found him and reunited him with his emotional owner.

Knowing that we were able to bring a lost soul home to their family is so gratifying," the rescue team said.

"Although we had never met and spoke two completely different languages, it was clear that we fully understood."

Twitter users showed off their poetic sides while roasting the Government

We’re quick to celebrate creativity here at indy100 so were delighted to see Twitter users making the most of National Poetry Day.

The annual event’s official site touts it as an opportunity to “start conversations” through verse, and a number of Liz Truss critics certainly did that, though perhaps not in the wholesome way the organisers had intended.

Still, good mental health is all about having an outlet for your emotions and frustrations – as well as to have a laugh – so we feel it’s perfectly appropriate to share some of the parodic offerings penned over the course of the day...

Sportsman scuppers his own chances to help a teammate

We all know that performing selfless acts is a surefire way to boost wellbeing, so one Australian football player must be feeling pretty good right now.

Max Gruzewski was competing at Australian Football League (AFL) drafts when he sacrificed his own chances of securing a good time during a 2km run by helping out a friend in need.

Lewis Hayes tripped and fell several times during the last 100 feet of the run, but rather than continue Gruzewski stopped and helped him to his feet, supporting him across the finish line.

“I think I would always prioritise my partner’s health over a race or something like that, it’s much more important,” Gruzewski reportedly said.

It’s a lesson we could all do with remembering.

Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd delight with tear-jerking reunion

If you need a comforting slice of nostalgia as well as some inspiration, look no further than this Back to the Future reunion at New York’s Comic-Con.

The audience was left fighting back tears as Michael J. Fox, 61, and Christopher Lloyd, 83, embraced onstage, 37 years after the Sci-Fi classic’s release.

Seeing the pair, who will forever be remembered as Marty McFly and Emmett “Doc” Brown, side by side, was a reminder of how friendship transcends time and space – even if you don’t have a Delorean.

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