Five ways to wellbeing

The five ways to wellbeing have been designed to encourage us to take simple actions every day that build on our strengths, increase our confidence, and help us to improve our health and wellbeing.

Connect with others

  • Good relationships are important for our health and wellbeing, they can help us build a sense of belonging, give us an opportunity to share experiences and to provide or receive emotional support

  • Try to find time each day to spend together as a family, for example, eat a meal together

  • Make the effort to stay in touch with friends either by meeting up or calling them

  • Take time to talk to others in your family without the interruption of TV

  • Thinks of ways to make new friends

Be physically active

  • Being active can improve our physical health and mental wellbeing; it can help us feel better about ourselves and release chemicals in our brain that change our mood

  • Think about individual and family goals you can set to be more active - try to find something you enjoy doing – being active doesn’t have to be playing a sport or going to the gym; taking the dog for a walk, playing in the garden etc all count

Learn a new skill

  • Learning something new can boost our self-esteem and confidence, giving us a sense of purpose and possibly helping us connect with other people

  • Try cooking some new recipes

  • Is there a new hobby you could take up yourself or as a family?

Give to others

  • Acts of giving and kindness can improve our mental wellbeing by giving us a feeling of worth and a sense of reward; it could be a small act of kindness for a neighbour or family member - it doesn’t have to be anything large

  • Always try to say ‘thank you’ when someone does something for you

  • Listen to concerns people in your life may have

  • Spend time with those who might need support

  • Volunteer in the community

Take notice

  • Paying more attention to our thoughts and feelings, our bodies, and the world around us can improve our health and wellbeing - this is sometimes known as ‘mindfulness’

  • Take the time to sit still and think about what is around you – use all your senses – touch, sight, sound, smell, taste

  • Try mindful eating – focus only on what you are eating, avoid distractions, switch the TV off - often, we eat without thinking about it, or through habit rather than hunger

  • Take time to notice what you are thinking and how this makes you feel