5 Ways to Wellbeing

We’ve learned throughout our lives how to look after our physical health: what to eat to have a balanced diet, how much you should exercise, and what to do if you’re physically unwell. However, when it comes to looking after our own wellbeing, it is a lot harder to know how we can improve it. We all have different commitments that we try to juggle such as work, friendships, family, school, finances. Trying to maintain or balance our commitments can often make us feel overwhelmed and stressed. 

Here are 5 ways you can look after your wellbeing.

CONNECT 

Feeling close to and being valued by other people can help to improve our mental and emotional health. Good relationships can help you build a sense of belonging and self-worth and provide you with emotional support. 

Spend time with family, friends or colleagues without other distractions (no screens!). Invite them over for a coffee, lunch or go out for the day together. 

Do not rely on technology or social media alone to build relationships. It’s easy to get into the habit of only ever texting or messaging people.

BE ACTIVE 

Regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups. Physical activity causes chemical changes in your brain that improves your mood as well as boosting your self-esteem.

Being active doesn’t mean you need to do high-intensity workouts to feel good, slower-paced activities such as walking can be beneficial too. 

Try increasing your weekly physical activity by going for a walk, have a kick-about in a local park, walk to school or work, take the stairs instead of lifts. 

TAKE NOTICE

Being aware of what is happening in the present moment can directly improve your wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body, and the world around you. 

Heightened awareness also enhances your self-understanding and allows you to make positive choices based on your own values and motivations. 

Take some time to notice what is happening around you.

LEARN

Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem, encourages social interaction and gives you a purpose. The practice of setting goals, which is related to adult learning in particular, has been strongly associated with higher levels of wellbeing.

Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots of different ways to bring learning into your life. Try cooking something new, take on an extra responsibility at work or school or try new hobbies that challenge you. 

GIVE

Being kind, giving and helping out others has shown to increase a person’s happiness. Giving to others helps connect with others, create positive feelings and rewards and gives you a feeling of purpose and self-worth. 

It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.