The Five Ways to Wellbeing
You've heard about 5 A Day where everyone is encouraged to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day to keep your body fit and healthy...
...well, The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a great way to remind yourself, every day, what you can do to look after your emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Hang on a minute!
What do we mean by all these words like 'wellbeing' 'mental health' 'resilience'?
If you are not sure check out our what is wellbeing? page
So, what are the five ways to wellbeing?
Connect
Connect with the people around you. With family, friends, and neighbours. At home, school or in your local community. Building connections will support you every day.
Connect with the people around you.
With family, friends, and neighbours.
At home, school or in your local community.
Building connections will support you every day.
Ways to connect:
- With family – share your day and ask about theirs
- Smile / speak to someone
- Ask a friend about their weekend and pay attention and listen when they tell you
- Talk to someone in person or on the phone instead of messaging or social media
- Make contact with someone you used to hang out with
- Don’t use your phone for a day (or at least for a few hours!)
- Take your headphones off when in a shop
- Don’t use the self-checkout in a shop and talk to the shop assistant
- Write a letter or send a postcard to someone
- Smile at a person on the street and say hello
- Share a random cat picture or inspirational photo with your friends
- Message a friend. It doesn’t matter what it says, people appreciate it when you think of th
Get Moving
Moving makes you feel good! Science tells us that physical exercise changes the chemicals in your brain and releases happy hormones! Even better if you can get moving outdoors! The important thing is doing exercise and activity you ENJOY!
Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance.
Exercising makes you feel good.
Science tells us that physical exercise changes the chemicals in your brain and releases happy hormones!
For more information on how to be active, talk to your PE department at school or visit Active Cornwall
Ways to get moving:
- Play your favourite song and dance to it
- Go for a walk at lunchtime
- Walk to school
- Get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the final part of your journey
- Go to your local park
- Stretch and move your limbs in the morning, midday and evening
- Join a new sports club or team
- Walk the dog
- Do some gardening
- Make bread – it’s hard work!
- Climb a tree
- Go to PE – no excuses!
- Walk to see friends instead of going in the car
Find time for YOU!
You’re special. So it’s important you take time for you and the people / things you love.
Each day, even when you’re really busy with things like homework / revision, take time out do something you enjoy just for fun. Play can help recharge your batteries and make your study more effective!
Taking time out just for you is a really great way of recharging the batteries and all about those 'Happy Hormone' brain chemicals!
Try something new. Join a club. (It's a great way to connect with new people too!) Look up a word you've never come across before. Learn to ride a bike (or even a unicycle!)
Learn how to count to 10 in Cornish. Learn 13 amazing facts about your favourite animal. Teach yourself how to juggle... or
Come to one of our 5 Ways to Wellbeing Activity workshops
Ways to find time for you:
- Read a book you’ve been waiting to get hold of
- Spend time downloading music you like
- Pick up a hobby / activity you enjoy but haven’t done for a while
- Learn a new skill / something new about your hobby or something you're interested in
Stop and take notice
Whether you are walking to school, eating lunch or talking to friends. Take a moment or two to be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Pausing to really take notice like this can be very relaxing and calming. Some people call this 'being Mindful' or 'Mindfulness'.
Whether you are walking to school, eating lunch or talking to friends. Take a moment or two to be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling.
Pausing to really take notice like this be very relaxing and calming
Some people call this 'being Mindful' or 'Mindfulness'.
Ways to take notice:
- Use your senses!
- Remember the things that make you smile
- Try looking at something right you see all the time. Look at the detail. See anything you haven’t noticed before?
- Stop and really take in your surroundings
- Try cloud spotting – see what shapes you can spot in the clouds
- Watch animals and birds outside
- Try a new food and then notice how different it tastes and feels
Give to others
Do something nice for a friend, help out home, thank someone, smile, volunteer your time, join a community group, look out, as well as in.
Any acts of kindness, whether small or large can make you feel happier and more satisfied about life.
Do something nice for a friend, help out home, thank someone, smile, volunteer your time, join a community group, look out, as well as in.
Any acts of kindness, whether small or large can make you feel happier and more satisfied about life.
Ways to give:
- Share your time, your knowledge and your words
- Smile and be willing to give your time to a conversation
- Check up on a friend
- Say thank you to someone who has helped you. Send a text, or message or write them a letter to show how much it meant to you.
- Give unwanted items to a local charity shop
- Donate your time to do something for someone else; help out a neighbour; carry shopping or offer to baby-sit
- Offer to help your parents or people you live with round the house
- Give some food to a food bank
- Give yourself some time to relax
- Get involved in action on Climate Change in your school and community