Do you know what your wellbeing is and how to maintain it?
The Oxford dictionary defines wellbeing as the ‘state of being comfortable, healthy or happy’. We all deserve to feel comfortable, safe and in our best health, but how do we maintain our wellbeing and where do we go if we need help?
Now more than ever it is important we check in with ourselves and those around us to check that we feel healthy and happy. Use these five steps to maintaining your wellbeing.
5 ways to wellbeing
Connect – Talk to someone, arrange a catch-up with friends, put five minutes aside to find out how someone really is. Building these connections will enrich your life every day.
Be Active – Look for ways to be active every day, step outside, cycle, stretch, play a game, or do some gardening. Most importantly discover a physical activity that makes you feel good every day
Take Notice – Notice the world around you, nature, and your thoughts and feelings. Be aware of your environment and the present moment and how it makes you feel.
Keep Learning – Learning a new skill or information on something that interests you, boosts your confidence, and is fun. Try something new, rediscover an old interest, start a new course, learn to play a new instrument, or try a new recipe.
Give – Small acts of kindness for other people, whether that’s your time, patience, or your smile, creates positive feelings and are rewarding. Make someone a cup of tea, become a volunteer, make a donation.
Ready to balance your wellbeing?
To get you started we share ideas and links to specialist organisations and apps to help you feel comfortable, safe, and in your best health. We share lots of information on our website page Your Wellbeing on our social media Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
CONNECT
- Weekly Chat and Share coffee mornings with our Time to Talk team. These are Deaf friendly (BSL interpreter available) and can be accessed on Zoom or via telephone.
- Fortnightly quiz nights, you get to choose the questions, meet others for an informal chat and catch up, hosted by our Time to Talk team.
BE ACTIVE
- Our Deaf Get Active team shares activities for everyone to get involved with, both seated and interpreted into British Sign Language. You don’t have to be Deaf to get involved. Take part and find out more on their Facebook
- We’re excited to be launching our ‘Couch to 5K Your Way’ at the end of February and more exciting ideas to get active and keep active through our Living Options Devon Keep Active support service. We’ll be sharing more information soon.
- Being active in mind as well as body is incredibly important, our brain is a muscle after all and needs to be exercised. Why not start a new book, read a magazine, play Suduko or do a word search?
- Take a virtual tour outside with our Countryside Mobility podcast ‘Inside Out’
TAKE NOTICE
Struggling to check in with yourself and your surroundings? It can be really hard to connect with ourselves, particularly at the moment. We appreciate that not everyone can step outside to find some space, nature, or fresh air. Breathing exercises, meditation, and music can really help us take notice of ourselves and what is going on around us. There are different online resources you can use to help you connect with yourself, we’ve listed some below
- Headspace – Be kind to your mind. Headspace is an online website that helps you discover a happy, healthier you through mindfulness, meditation, soundscapes, and music.
Calm – Do you have trouble sleeping, suffer from stress and anxiety? Calm is the number one App for sleep, meditation and relaxation.
Your Wellbeing playlist – We share lots of useful videos (subtitled and in BSL) on breathing and mediation exercises, soundscapes, tips for getting better sleep, and how to combat stress and anxiety.
Can digital sights and sounds of the countryside boost your mood? Try for yourself with ‘virtual nature experiences’ on wellbeing.
KEEP LEARNING
Learn a new language, a new craft, skill or instrument. Why not find out more about something you enjoy doing or connect with people to start a new group, an online coffee morning, book club or craft club.
Charity ‘Help on your doorstep’ share some useful links and ideas on their ‘Keep Learning’ web page.
GIVE
If Sir Captain Tom Moore taught us anything it was that kindness costs nothing, share a smile, message a loved one, make someone a cuppa. Whatever it is, however small could make a big difference to someone’s day.
Why not start your ‘5 ways to wellbeing’ on Friday the 26th February by joining us for our first-ever online fundraising Quiz. This aims to be the best night in, we’ll connect, learn something new and give to charity on this fun-filled evening. See you there! Book your spot HERE