How can I improve my mental wellbeing?
Research shows there are five ways that can really help to boost your mental wellbeing.
Five Ways to Wellbeing
Connect
With other people. Ideas for connecting:
- Dedicate time to your relationships like you would a work meeting or homework - set times and dates and stick to them.
- Don’t just rely on social media – arrange a face to face catch up with a friend
- Call a friend you haven't spoken to for a while.
- Switch off the TV tonight and play a game with your family, or just talk.
- Put a few minutes aside to find out how someone really is
- Speak to someone new today.
- Take the plunge, join a group or club!
Be active
Find an activity. Ideas to be more active:
- Take a walk at lunch time or after school
- Put on your favourite song and dance
- Get off the bus one stop earlier than usual and walk
- While you’re gardening, also practice being in ‘the moment’
- Borrow a dog and go for a walk
- Park the car a bit further from work, and walk
Take notice
Of the world. Ideas on taking more notice:
- Go for a walk or sit in the garden or a park. Turn off your phone for a while - Take time to look around and listen, and enjoy the sounds of nature
- Start to relish and pay attention to a routine activity that you usually hurry through
- When you are out and about today, stop and look at things that you normally whizz by
- Listen to some music you love, think about how it makes you feel and what you love about it
- Think of 3 things you are grateful for right now
- Eat slowly and enjoy the taste of each mouthful of food
- Try a different (but safe) route to work or school
- Take a photo of something interesting or beautiful each day for a week
Keep learning
Try something new! Ideas for learning:
- Read a poem each day this week
- Visit a gallery and learn about an artist that interests you.
- Make a scrapbook of something you are really interested in.
- Be brave, push yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new
- Learn one positive thing from a challenging or difficult situation that will help you in the future
- Rediscover an old hobby that challenges you
- Take up a new challenge and keep going with it for at least 6 weeks
- Take up an opportunity for work experience in an area that interests you
Give
A smile, a hug, your time! Ideas on how you can get involved:
- Be kind to someone you pass in the street this week who is having difficulty with something
- Offer your seat to someone
- Cook a meal for a friend or neighbour
- Hug someone who looks like they need a hug
- Be there for a friend in need
- Consider if you have time to volunteer, doing something you love.
- Tidy your room before you are asked or make someone a cup of tea
Why don’t you have a go at assessing your own feelings of well-being using the self-assessment tool?