5 ways to well-being

Well-being Bromsgrove and Redditch Partnership

Introduction

Good mental health is not just the absence of a mental health disorder. It is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

Wellbeing

Feelings of contentment, enjoyment, confidence and engagement with the world are all a part of mental wellbeing, as are self-esteem and self-confidence.
We all want to feel good – about ourselves and the world around us – and to be able to get the most from our lives. There is also evidence that good mental wellbeing is important for our physical health too.

Evidence suggests there are five steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing;

Connecting with others
Getting Active
Giving
Learning
Taking Notice

Increase your life expectancy

By adopting the five ways to wellbeing, you can increase your life expectancy by 7.5 years. One in four people experience mental distress during their lifetime, there’s never been a better time to take your mental health into your own hands.

Assess your well-being

You can assess your wellbeing or check your mood using Health Tools from the NHS Choices.

There are lots of little changes you can make to improve your wellbeing. NHS Better Health has with lots of free tools and support.

Looking after your mind is just as important as looking after your body. Find simple ways to lift your mental wellbeing with Every Mind Matters.

Further support

If you would like to know how to access more support for issues relating to low mood, depression, anxiety, emotional problems and general mental wellbeing and also find a Counsellor near to you, access this useful directory for counselling services.

Please note we do not endorse any particular counselling service listed in the directory.

When it comes to wellbeing, other people matter. Evidence shows that good relationships, with family, friends and the wider community, are important for mental wellbeing.

So taking the time to develop and enhance our relationships with those around us is important.

Connect

There are many ways to build stronger and closer relationships:

Make an effort to spend quality time with your family each day.
Arrange a day out with friends you haven't seen for a while.
Switch off the TV tonight and play a game with the children, or just talk.
Speak to someone new today.
Have lunch with a colleague.
Visit a friend or family member who needs support or company. Older people are particularly vulnerable to isolation and may benefit from Age UK’s befriending service
Join a local community group or club

Information about Community Groups

Have a look in your local newspaper or search online for information on groups near to you.

Redditch Advertiser,
Bromsgrove Advertiser,
Redditch Standard,
Bromsgrove Standard,
The Village Newsletter (for Alvechurch).

Potential Groups in Bromsgrove include:

Groups held at the Starlight Community Centre and Cafe in Charford
Bromsgrove Engagement and Equalities Forum
Bromsgrove Arts Society

Groups across the county include:

Older People's Forum
Woman's Institute
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
University of the Third Age (U3A)

For further information about community groups in Redditch and Bromsgrove you could also contact Bromsgrove and Redditch Network (BARN) who hold a database of community groups in both areas.

We have all heard of that post-exercise buzz, being active is great for your physical health and fitness.

Evidence shows that exercise can also improve your mental wellbeing, lowering rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups. Being active doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the gym, if that doesn't appeal to you.
Find physical activities that you enjoy and think about how to fit more of them into your daily life, for example;

Take the stairs not the lift.
Go for a walk at lunchtime.
Walk into work - perhaps with a colleague – so you can ‘connect’ as well.
Get off the bus one stop earlier than usual and walk the final part of your journey to work.
Walk to someone’s desk instead of calling or emailing.
Organise a work sporting activity
Have a kick-about in a local park.

What exercise suits you?

If you would like to find out what exercise would best help you to improve your fitness and wellbeing go to the NHS Exercise guidelines and workouts advice page.

You can also find a variety of physical activities to enjoy where you live:

There are also county wide outdoor activities available across Worcestershire that can help improve health and wellbeing:

Country parks, picnic places and nature reserves
Walks in Worcestershire

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.

Helping others

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. Plus helping others will improve their wellbeing too!

Local Volunteering

There are a huge number of voluntary opportunities across Worcestershire regardless of how little or how much time you are able to give. The Bromsgrove and Redditch Network hosts the local Do-It volunteering website which can help guide you to suitable volunteering opportunities. You can also look at the Worcestershire County volunteering website as well for volunteering opportunities.

You can also take a look through our volunteering pages.

Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem and encourages social interaction and a more active life.

Learning

The practice of setting goals, has been strongly associated with higher levels of wellbeing. Try something new, set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun. Learn a new skill

Why not learn something new today? Here are a few ideas, but the opportunities are endless:

Rediscover an old interest, how about ‘Getting Back into Netball’
Read a book, or why not set up a book club - visit your local library
Research something you’ve always wondered about, how about your family history?
Learn how to cook your favourite food
Always wanted to be a rockstar? How about learning to play an instrument?

It can be easy to rush through life without stopping to notice what is going on around us.

Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing. 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.

Mindfulness is about being more aware of the sights, smells, sounds and tastes that you experience, as well as the thoughts and feelings that occur from one moment to the next.

Several practices can help create this new awareness of body sensations, thoughts and feelings, including yoga, tai-chi and meditation. But we can also incorporate mindfulness into our day to day lives, for example taking the time to visit a local art gallery, notice the changing seasons or listening to the birds singing on a spring morning.