Take 5 steps to wellbeing is a campaign promoted across the region to help people of all ages adopt five simple steps that can help maintain and improve mental wellbeing.
Most people know when they are mentally and physically well, but sometimes people need a little extra support to keep well.
There are five simple steps to help maintain and improve a person’s wellbeing: connect, keep learning, be active, take notice, and learn.
Evidence indicates a person who practises all five steps as part of their daily routine will feel higher levels of wellbeing.
Connect
Connect with others: family, friends, colleagues and neighbours at home, work, school or in the local community. Building connections will support and enrich a person every day.
Social relationships are important to support wellbeing and to act as a buffer against mental ill health. Connecting and interacting with others can have a positive benefit to wellbeing.
Keep learning
Don’t be afraid to try something new, rediscover an old hobby or sign up for a course. Take on a different responsibility, fix a bike, learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do.
Learning, remaining curious and setting goals are important for all ages. For children, it leads to positive cognitive and social development. For adults, learning includes elements of goal-setting, which is strongly associated with higher levels of wellbeing.
Be active
Go for a walk or run, cycle, play a game, garden or dance. Exercise makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.
Research shows a strong correlation between physical activity and increased wellbeing, as well as lower rates of depression and anxiety. It is essential for people of all ages and has been shown to slow age-related cognitive decline.
Take notice
Stop, pause or take a moment to look around you. What can you see, feel, smell or even taste? Look for beautiful, new, unusual or extraordinary things in your everyday life and think about how that makes you feel.
Developing skills that increase awareness of what is immediately happening, both physically and mentally, within and around us can improve our wellbeing.
Give
Do something nice for a friend or stranger, thank someone, smile, volunteer your time or consider joining a community group. Look out as well as in. Seeing yourself and your happiness linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you.
Giving is more than just the sharing of materialistic things with others. It is about cultivating a spirit of generosity and promoting active participation in social and community life.
To find out more visit Take 5 steps to wellbeing | Minding Your Head
