Hi, my name is Lynda Stayman and I work at CCMS. I recently wrote a blog about the Mental Health Awareness training that I deliver and wanted to follow this up with a piece on wellbeing.
What does wellbeing mean to me? Because I am a ‘facts and figures’ person I tend to refer to the written word as a starting point.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, wellbeing is defined as a “state of being comfortable, healthy or happy“. To me creating this state of wellbeing is the first step in maintaining our mental health, for which I am a real advocate.
As human beings we are all ultimately striving for happiness, but happiness can mean different things to different people, so happiness is therefore hard to define.
Also, according to and defined by the World Health Organisation, “having a sense of wellbeing is usually determined by our social, economic and environmental conditions”.
So, how can we promote a good sense of wellbeing?
Wellbeing is going to mean something different to everyone, but for me it is all about perception and how these areas of our lives are seen and felt by us, either positively or negatively.
If we think about what it is we need in our lives to be able to feel comfortable, healthy and happy, these are the things we can concentrate on achieving in a positive way.
Social
The social aspect of our lives includes those closest to us and the people we interact with on a daily basis. So, it is extremely important that we are happy in our relationships and the wider community that we are part of. This could be promoted by getting involved in local community activities or just spending quality time with friends and loved ones. If interacting with people on a physical level is not your thing then maybe think about other ways to have a positive impact on others. We all need human connection to feel happy and even the smallest act of reaching out and finding that something you have in common can have a positive impact on our lives.
Believing in yourself and having a sense of worth is also a huge way to promote your own wellbeing. If we feel like we have a purpose to our lives, then we feel much more content and therefore happier. Social connection can help us feel valued and help promote self worth.
Economic
In order to gain a sense of wellbeing in the economic aspects of our lives, we need to think about what it is we really we need to make us feel happy. Again, this will be different for every individual, but as long as a person is satisfied with what they have economically then they will be happy. Being aspirational and having goals is a great way of keeping focused and having a sense of direction, however if these are unrealistic, then we could be setting ourselves up for disappointment. So, by taking smaller achievable steps, that could lead to your ultimate goal and providing you with a sense of achievement each time, is much more likely to bring you happiness.
Environment
Our environment can have a huge impact on our state of wellbeing, and it can sometimes feel like we don’t have any control over this, particularly if the social and economic aspects of our lives are determining this. There are other factors at play here too. Physical health can also determine our environment and how we deal with this. Our physical and mental health cannot be underestimated as they are both an intrinsic part of feeling happy and therefore have a huge impact on our wellbeing.
But if we take those small steps and make positive changes, this can help with the way we feel about our environment and our health for the better. Remember that having a positive mindset is within your control.
What helps me – Top tips
- Make time for social interaction (no matter how small) – just saying good morning to someone or a friendly smile can make a huge difference. Human connection creates a sense of belonging, which is essential for our wellbeing.
- Get out in nature if you can – fresh air and the feeling of being part of something bigger than ourselves, will promote a sense of wellbeing.
- Do the things that make you happy more often – make time for activities that make you feel good. Exercise, hobbies, social events, relaxing, practicing mindfulness, spending time with loved ones to name just a few. All of these will produce serotonin – the natural ‘happy hormone’ – in your brain, therefore having a positive impact on your wellbeing.
- Learn something new – gaining new skills and knowledge keeps our minds and bodies active and builds self confidence and resilience.
- A good sleep routine – not always easy, but I feel so much better when I have a good sleep pattern in place. This will promote our wellbeing as it enables the body and mind to recuperate. If we feel rested and full of energy, then we feel that we can tackle many of life’s challenges.
- A healthy diet – This is a hard one to stick to, I sometimes struggle with this one too. But it shouldn’t be underestimated how it helps equip our bodies with what it needs in nutrition and energy. This gives both our bodies and mind the fuel to get us through the day and deal with its inevitable twists and turns.
- ‘You do you’ and what makes you feel happy. Be your true self and try not to conform to the social ideals that we are all bombarded with every day.
A sense of wellbeing is ultimately what we all want and deserve. Hopefully, I have given you an insight into what wellbeing means to me and some useful tips on how you can achieve this.
