Amiko Cards feature simple, evidence-based ideas that can help to boost physical and mental wellbeing.

They're a friendly reminder of the helpful things we know, but can often forget.

To use the cards, look through the deck and ask:

What would help right now?

When you find an idea that feels good, do it - in whatever way works for you.

To find out more, look up any of the cards on the Amiko membership site and you'll find the latest research, videos and more.

A 21st century challenge:

There are certain key elements that crop up again and again when you explore the subject of what humans need to thrive.

Here are just a few:

• Movement
• Social connection
• Rest and recovery 
• Physical self-care
• Meaningful activity
• Self-compassion

There’s lots of research demonstrating why these things help and countless articles you can read telling you what to do and how. In fact, you only have to spend a few moments online to find yourself swamped with information.

But when we feel overwhelmed, exhausted or are struggling with our mental health, it can be hard to find the time and the concentration to make sense of it all.

• Where do we start?
• Which information should we trust?
• How can we turn the ideas we find into simple actions we can take right away?

Our response:

The Amiko card deck is a set of 55 playing cards.

Each card features a simple icon and a word or short sentence.

Each one represents an evidence-based idea that we know can help us feel better.

You use the cards by looking through them and noticing which ones would feel good to do right now. Then you go and do those things in whatever way works for you.

One person might interpret the ‘exercise’ card by going for a run. Another might simply get up from their chair for a moment. There are no right or wrong ways to respond to the cards.

Words often get in the way - they can be hard to process and can have all sorts of judgements associated with them. Pictures can help to bypass these problems and evoke an instant gut response of ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

The Amiko membership site is a place to find trustworthy, regularly updated information.

Want to know more about what the research says?

Want to find ideas about different ways you could interpret a particular card?

Want to share your own ideas and experiences with others?

Log in from your computer or mobile device and, within moments, you can connect with a wealth of carefully curated information, inspiration and ideas. 

The cards: 

• 56 full-colour playing cards (55 picture cards / 1 information card)
• Supplied in a full-colour, soft-touch laminated tuck box
• Poker size deck (88 x 63mm with radius corners) 
• Printed on Sure Slip Air 310gsm Forestry Stewardship Council® certified card
• Coated with a water-based varnish sourced from sustainable materials. 
• Printed in the UK

Find out the backstory to Amiko Cards by watching the original crowdfunding video here:

Why we believe this matters:

At one time or another, many of us will experience overwhelm, creative blocks, mood swings, difficulty in getting things done or episodes of physical or psychological exhaustion or dis-ease. These things are part of the human experience, after all.

But that doesn't mean that it's easy to know how to handle them.

We've taken a range of simple, evidence-based ideas and made them available in a readily-accessible, inexpensive form, to make those times a little easier to navigate.

People are often pretty good at knowing what will help them in any given moment - it's just that they don't always think to ask themselves, or trust the answers they find.

Amiko Cards point people back towards this self-knowledge and encourage them to listen to it. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How did you come up with the ideas featured on the cards?

I gathered the ideas from research papers, personal experience and through consulting with hundreds of members of the 'Little Challenges Ideas Community'. Although anecdotal and experiential evidence have been a great source of inspiration, the cards only feature ideas which tie in with published research. The Amiko membership site will feature regularly updated links to the research relating to each card.

Can you use the cards in different ways?

Yes! Our suggested approach is to look through the deck, pick out an idea that feels good to you and act on it. And then - if you feel so inclined - choose another card and act on that.

Alternatively, you might choose a card at random and notice your response. Does the suggested activity feel like something you would enjoy, something you're putting off (but would feel better having done), or something that wouldn't be helpful for you right now?

You might find sorting the cards into their original rainbow an enjoyable mindfulness exercise.

Finally - since they are actual playing cards, sorted by number and suit - you can also use them for all your favourite card games!

What does 'Amiko' mean?

'Amiko' is the Esperanto word for 'friend'. Have you ever noticed that it's easier to think of helpful things to say to a friend who's having a bad day than it is to say them to yourself when you're the one who's feeling out-of-sorts? Amiko Cards are a simple way of reminding yourself of the helpful things you know, but can't necessarily access when you need them most.

Can the cards be used by anyone?

We have designed the cards to be image-focused with just a few simple words on each one. For this reason, they can be used by people of all ages, including those for whom reading is difficult (who may prefer simply to respond to the pictures). We are aware that the first edition features some cards where the picture and words may be hard to see for someone with a visual impairment. A future edition will feature greater contrast. We also aim to make a Braille deck and versions in other languages.