Wellbeing that works for you. Whether you are 19 or 90, there are mental wellbeing activities for people from all walks of life.
Taking some ‘me time’ is important. And it also helps strengthen your mental wellbeing.
Your mental wellbeing is the unique way that you handle your emotions, respond to stress and also your general outlook on life. Having a healthy sense of mental wellbeing has many benefits. It lifts your mood, promotes resilience in difficult situations and helps you get the most out of life. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live or how you’re feeling – taking a few moments for yourself each day will help you be a happier and more resilient you.
How can you improve your mental wellbeing?
Being active for 30 minutes each day improves your physical health. The same goes for your mental health. By taking just a few minutes to focus on mental wellbeing activities each day, you’ll see big improvements. – go for a walk outside, work in the garden, call a friend, or listen to music. It only takes a few small actions, practiced every day, to find a happier you.
Where do I start you ask?
Start today. The following is a collection of easy, everyday mental wellbeing activities you can try now. Select your favourites to create a personalised plan for improving your mental wellbeing. Because everyone is different, your choices to practice mental wellbeing will be different to others.
The Building Blocksto a strong mental wellbeing
Try incorporating a few wellbeing activities from each of these areas to improve your overall mental resilience.
Healthy body, healthy mind. Taking good care of your body is one of the most important things you can do to improve your mental wellbeing.
How we think and feel depends directly on how well our brain is functioning. A healthy, well-nourished and rested body provides the foundation for your mind to function at its best.
You can take better care of your body in three different ways:
Aim to do 30 minutes of physical activity each day. This could be as easy as gardening or walking or as intense as rock climbing or interval training – the activity you choose is up to you.
Physical activity releases feel-good chemicals into the body, like endorphins and serotonin. These chemicals make you feel good, lift your mood, increase your energy levels and improve your sleep. Getting active also gives your general health and wellbeing a significant boost.
Aim to eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet. You could try introducing an extra serve of vegetables to your meals or reducing processed and fast foods.
Following a healthy diet means your brain will have the right balance of nutrients to work at its best. It will also improve your energy levels, sleep patterns and general health, leaving you fresh and ready to handle life’s day to day challenges
Get more rest
Aim for at least eight hours of sleep each night. This isn’t always easy, especially if you have young children. But, even a small change like shifting your bedtime forward by an hour could make a big difference to your energy levels.
Sleep gives your brain important ‘down time’ to process and store the information it receives during the day. Not getting enough sleep affects your mood and ability to concentrate, and can also lead to anxiety and depression.
Keeping your mind engaged with new ideas and experiences is an important part of your mental wellbeing. This could be as easy as doing a daily Sudoku, learning a new skill through an online tutorial or listening to an informative podcast.
Your ability to reason and make good decisions depends on how well your brain interprets and processes information. Doing regular mental challenges trains these mental pathways, improving their effectiveness and refreshing old or unhelpful thought patterns. Research is showing that lifelong learning may improve brain function and prevent or delay the symptoms of dementia.
Give back and show gratitude. Did you know that one of the best ways to be kind to yourself is to be kind to others?
Studies have shown that when you do a kind deed, it actually delivers a bigger happiness boost to you than the person you’re helping. You can unlock this happiness boost with either an act of giving, like volunteering or helping a neighbour, or an act of gratitude, like sending a thank you note or just writing down something you are grateful for each day.
Research tells us that performing an act of kindness triggers the release of a chemical called oxytocin. This stimulates the area of your brain associated with social connection and trust, which makes you feel good. Showing gratitude can improve your self-esteem, enhance empathy, reduce aggression and even help you sleep better. Acts of gratitude create strong positive emotions, and practising them regularly will also help build your mental resilience.
Build meaningful relationships. Feeling connected to people, groups, places and culture plays an important part in your mental wellbeing. Humans evolved to live in tight bands or family groups, with a need for constant social interaction hardwired into our DNA. Now that we live more independently, this means many of us may feel disconnected or lonely.
There are plenty of ways to make meaningful connections with people. This includes spending time with family and friends, inviting co-workers or classmates for lunch, joining a team or club, or even having a friendly chat with the guy serving you at the bakery.
Regular positive interactions stimulate the production of a feel-good chemical in your brain, boosting your mood. Fostering stronger relationships and connections to your community will also strengthen your social networks for the times you might need extra support.
Be mindful of the world around you. Daily life can be busy and stressful. But did you know that you can calm that pressure simply by taking a moment to stop and focus on the present?
Mindfulness is about connecting with your immediate thoughts and feelings without judging them. You can practise mindfulness anywhere by taking a deep breath, then allowing yourself to focus only on what is happening in that moment – both in the world around you and in your mind.
Studies have shown that mindfulness has a strong positive effect on your mental wellbeing. By directing your attention to what is happening in the present, you’re less likely to focus on worrying about things from the past, or things that might happen in the future.
Connect with the natural world. Spending time in nature has big benefits for your mental wellbeing. It’s also been shown to have wider health benefits like building your immune system and lowering your blood pressure.
Studies have shown that spending time in nature can improve your mood, and reduce stress. More time outdoors also means that you’ll get more exposure to the sun. Sun exposure helps produce mood-stabilising chemicals like serotonin and also gives your vitamin D levels a boost, which helps regulate your sleep-wake cycles.
Your GP can assist you with your mental health concerns including referral to specialised mental health personnel - psychologist, psychiatrist, community organisations.