5 ways to wellbeing

Physical activity stimulates the production of dopamine and endorphins in our body, and encourages positivity.

Finding an activity that we enjoy, such as walking, dancing, yoga or running can be good for both our body and mind.

In order to keep doing the activity on a regular basis and consistently, we need to enjoy it. We don’t need to be running marathons to have a healthy body that thrives.

Walking to the shops instead of taking the car and/or dancing to our favourite music in the house helps to increase the blood flow around our bodies and activates the positive hormones that make us feel good….

• Go outside and experience nature.
• Savour time outdoors being active.
• Keep a healthy routine and eat well for your body type.

There is a tendency for our brain to operate on auto pilot. As we learn and start to experience the world around us, we start building neural pathways. These neural pathways influence our beliefs, habits and behaviours. As a result, our repeated negative beliefs, habits and behaviours become the norm and can be more difficult to change. However, they can be changed through taking notice, becoming more aware and developing mindfulness.

• Practise mindfulness by taking notice of your thoughts and emotions.
• Understand what triggers your responses, and why.
• Practise distancing yourself from your thoughts and feelings, and take notice in a non-judgemental and compassionate way.
• Be aware of the habits you engage in.

Are they helpful to your overall wellbeing?

The importance of connecting and reaching out to others

The Psychologist Abraham Maslow created his hierarchy of needs (1943). In this, he suggested love and belonging were essential to a person’s wellbeing.

Scientific research shows the importance of several aspects on our wellbeing; amongst them are making connections, and having a network of supportive people around us.

• Talk about your wellbeing and share your experiences openly and honestly.
• Build strong relationships with others.
• Do you have people who you can beyourself with?

Compassion is a sensitivity to the concerns and issues we face as a human, and the ability to show empathy to ourselves and others.

Compassion = Connection

Learning builds our self-confidence and self-esteem. When we achieve something we perhaps didn’t think we could, we generally feel positive and happier with our lives. That is because learning new things and having new experiences increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin produced in our bodies.

Things like learning to cook, crafting, sports and reading give our lives more meaning, and we are therefore less likely to reach for unhelpful habits like emotional eating, smoking and drinking. Learning and exploring new things can also open up our world socially, and change perspectives or beliefs that haven’t supported us in the past.

• What are you doing to keep your brain stimulated?
• Set challenging yet achievable goals.
• Find ways to learn more about yourself and how you best operate.

Giving back includes a huge range of activities from supporting a friend with a specific problem, donating things to charity or simply offering your time to those around you that need practical support.

Giving back ties in with the other ways to wellbeing, most specifically to connect. As already mentioned, as social creatures our wellbeing significantly increases when we connect to people in a meaningful way, and giving back allows us to do just that. We cultivate positive feelings like trust and cooperation and feel closer to the world around us.

• Think about what increases your self-esteem.
• Can you find ways to give back and show kindness to those who need it?

Does anyone do that for you?

• How have you felt in the past when you made a difference to a project or a person?