5 ways to wellbeing

Now more than ever it’s important you can experience good mental health. It determines how you handle stress. It effects your physical health. It impacts your relationships with others. It influences your motivation and it changes how you view yourself. The pandemic has meant that at times over the last 18months you’ve probably felt blah. The good news is that their is lots of research out there that supports 5 ways to wellbeing. And as we emerge from yet another lockdown, its the perfect time to give your mind a kick start and get back to feeling truly well.

5 ways to wellbeing

1. Connect

Developing close relationships and socialising with friends, family and others, is important for good health and wellbeing.

Human beings are ‘social animals’. Your relationships with others contributes to how you feel and can increase your feelings of happiness, security, belonging and self-worth. Creating bonds with family and friends allows you to feel secure.

Who haven’t you connected enough with lately. It’s time to give them a call. Have them over, enjoy the energy that comes from being in the same room as some one and make plans for the coming months.

2. Be Active

What you do with your body can have a powerful effect on your mental wellbeing. Evidence shows regular physical activity can positively impact your mood. Help prevent and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress and help improve your quality of sleep. That is on top of all the physical benefits we also know about. 

It doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon. Simply find an activity that brings you joy. It might be going for a walk, riding your bike or weeding in the garden. Yup that’s right even weeding is a form of physical exercise. The goal is to simply reduce the amount of time you spend being sedentry each day. 

Better still connect with someone at the same time. A walk and talk is so good for the soul! 

3. Keep Learning

Learning new things can help you enjoy life more, improving your knowledge on a topic learning can boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. it can help you to find meaning and purpose in your life. In fact the adult brain is capable of rewiring itself well into middle age, incorporating decades of experiences and behaviours.

The other great thing is that because we live in the digital age you can pretty much teach yourself anything. A quick search on youtube can see yourself learning how to do the Rubix cube, changing a tyre, learning to crochet or studying a language.

4. Give

Do you feel good after you know you have helped out another human being? When you give to others, it boosts your own happiness. It increases your life satisfaction, provides a sense of meaning, improves your mood and reduced stress. It can help to take your minds off your own troubles too!

Even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a “thank you” or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering at your local community centre, can also make a difference to the life of others and your own.

5. Take Notice

This one is probably the easiest and can be done no matter how fatigued or blah you are feeling. All you need to do is take time to stop and be aware of your surroundings and the moment you are in, paying attention to your thoughts and feelings.  

Appreciate something good that is already present in your life. Like the safety of your home, your healthy children, the warmth of the sun, your breathe. The simple act of feeling grateful directly activates brain regions associated with the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine feels good to get, which is why it’s generally considered the “reward” neurotransmitter. 

So before you read on… pause… take in your surroundings and see what you notice. What ever catched your eye, focus on it and have a think about why you are grateful that item exists in your life. 

As you have just read the 5 ways to wellbeing are so easy to implement so I hope this article has sparked something inside you and you take action to move you closer to the wellbeing goals you have for yourself.

That is it from me today, I hope you have a calm and restful day, one that brings you joy. One free from anxiety and as Positivity and Happiness are Contagious… Start your own Happiness ripple today!