World Wellbeing Week

Recent studies from The Health Foundation show that more than two-thirds of adults in the UK (63%), report feeling worried about how COVID-19 is affecting their wellbeing and 56% of adults in the UK report feeling stressed or anxious.

World Wellbeing Week is held annually during the last week of June. The event aims to raise an overall awareness for the wide-ranging aspects of wellbeing.

Wellbeing is defined as the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. To acknowledge World Wellbeing Week, we have listed some strategies and activities that you can implement into your daily routine to improve your overall happiness and wellbeing.

Exercise

Exercise is not only important for our physical health but also for our mental health. Exercising improves brain function and is known as a stress reliever, and can also reduce anxiety and depression. Exercising will increase your energy and have a positive impact on your quality of sleep. You don’t need an expensive gym membership—why not go for a walk on your lunch break, or walk to the shops instead of driving?

Connect with people

Connecting with people can reduce anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions and lead to higher self-esteem and empathy. Seeing people we care about can instantly lift our spirits. There are many ways we can connect with people—why not join a new club or group activity, volunteer for a cause you care about, or even grab a coffee with an old friend?

Meditate

Meditation can provide immediate relief from anxiety and stress and help improve focus and concentration. There are many ways we can introduce mediation to our daily routine. Spend five minutes sitting or lying in a comfortable position, shut your eyes and pay attention to the way you breathe. As you inhale, slowly count to four—hold this breath for a second—then breathe out, again counting to four. Shift perceptionWhen we are in a bad mood, under stress, or worrying, we have more negative thoughts. If we can learn to spot these negative thoughts, we can challenge them, and come up with more balanced alternatives. Replacing negative thoughts with thoughts that are more balanced and helpful will allow us to appreciate life more.

Do something nice

A nice gesture for someone else will not only increase their happiness, but it’ll help you, too. It doesn’t have to be a big gesture—you can buy someone a coffee or lunch. Take time out of your day to do something nice and see how your mood lifts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us challenging and uncertain times. It is important, now more than ever that we are looking after our wellbeing. During World Wellbeing Week try to incorporate at least one of the above into your daily routine, or think of other ways you can make improvements to your overall happiness and wellbeing.Remember you are not alone.If you need any support, our confidential helpline is available 24/7, 365.

Alternatively, if you have access to My Healthy Advantage, you can view a variety of resources including our video series, BrightTV, featuring a variety of well-known names sharing their personal experiences with mental health.