The state of being happy, healthy, or prosperous.” – Merriam-Webster Definition.
Wellbeing isn’t just about not having a disease but it’s a combination of your emotional, mental and physical well being. Our well being is linked to our happiness
Here are a few factors that will influence our wellbeing;
- Close friends
- Healthy relationship with partner
- Enjoy your work
- Regular exercise
- Enough money to support yourself
- Nutritional diet
- Enough sleep
- Hobbies
- Spiritual or religious beliefs
- Realistic goals
These components all connect with each other;
These components that influence our wellbeing are very connected with one another. Friendship and work provide goals, sense of belonging, and purpose. If you don’t have many friends, and if you have a partner they would make up for the lack of friendships. Religious or spiritual beliefs have been known to help with our mental and emotional state.
Steps to wellbeing:
- Connect with your friends and family: A few times a month be sure to get together with your friends and continue to foster those relationships. Try putting down your phone or turn off the TV to truly listen to whoever you are with.
Good relationships are very important to our mental wellbeing. Good relationships give us the opportunity to share/receive emotional support, you can share your experiences and achievements, they can also give you a sense of belonging and self worth.
- Become/stay physically active: Try taking up a new sport with a friend, go to a fitness class or try online workouts. Ex. pilates, yoga, strength training, cardio.
Strength training is great at increasing our muscle strength, helps with joint pain and can even improve balance. (If you’re in a wheelchair, there are many resources and activities for you).
Being physically active is known to raise our self esteem and confidence. Working out releases endorphins which can make you more happy and less stressed. Working out gives you the opportunity to set goals and learn how to stick to them.
- Acts of kindness/giving: There’s been many studies that show being kind and giving can improve our mental well being.
Try volunteering at a farm or a center that you are passionate about or interested in. Help out in the community. Even simpler ones are; saying thank you to someone who has helped you, asking someone how they are actually doing and fully listening to them, offering help to your friends or family who need help with a project, DIY, or just needs company.
All of those can give us a sense of reward, happiness and positive feelings. When you do good, you feel good. It will also help you connect with more people.
- Mindfulness: Be present everyday. be aware of your thoughts, feelings, your body and your breathing.
If you are aware of your thoughts and feelings, you have a better chance of working through them before they could potentially become a problem. If you’re stressed, practice some breathing techniques to help lower your stress and make you feel more at ease.
How do we achieve wellbeing?
- Join in on activities that you enjoy.
- Join local clubs or organizations that seem interesting to you.
- Try to be positive each day. Enjoy every day. Take a deep breath when things get hard and to reset.
- If possible, try to find work that is enjoyable to you.
- Make time to hang out with friends and family
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