5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing

Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.

Connect

There is strong evidence that indicates that feeling close to and valued by, other people is a fundamental human need and one that contributes to functioning well in the world. It’s clear that social relationships are critical for promoting wellbeing and for acting as a buffer against mental ill health for people of all ages.

With this in mind, try to do something different today and make a connection.

• Talk to someone instead of sending a text
• Ask how someone’s weekend was and really listen when they tell you
• Put five minutes aside to find out how someone really is

Be active

Regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups. But it doesn’t need to be particularly intense for you to feel good – slower-paced activities, such as walking, can have the benefit of encouraging social interactions as well as providing some level of exercise.

Today, why not get physical? Here are a few ideas:

• Take the stairs, not the lift
• Walk or cycle to school
• Get off the bus one stop earlier than usual and walk the final part of your journey
• Have a kick-about in a local park

Take notice

Reminding yourself to ‘take notice’ can strengthen and broaden awareness, but this can be an alien idea to young minds. Studies have shown that being aware of what is taking place in the present directly enhances your well-being and savouring ‘the moment’ can help to reaffirm your life priorities. Heightened awareness also enhances your self-understanding and allows you to make positive choices based on your own values and motivations.

Take some time to enjoy the moment and the environment around you. Here are a few ideas:

• Recognises your strengths and weaknesses
• Identify what needs to be done to complete a task
• Recognises errors in schoolwork and makes edits or changes
• Understand and talk about his feelings
• Recognizes other people’s needs and feelings
• Understand how your own behaviour can affect others

Learn

Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem and encourages social interaction and a more active life. The practise of setting goals, which is related to adult learning in particular, has been strongly associated with higher levels of wellbeing.

Why not learn something new today? Here are a few more ideas:

• Visit your local library and read a new book
• Join a book club
• Research something you’ve always wondered about
• Learn a new word

Give

Participation in social and community life has attracted a lot of attention in the field of wellbeing research. Individuals who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy. Research into actions for promoting happiness has shown that committing an act of kindness once a week over a six-week period is associated with an increase in wellbeing.