It is essential that we take care of our mental and physical wellbeing to ensure that we remain happy and healthy. There is evidence to suggest that there are 5 ways to wellbeing – the New Economics Foundation has analysed current research and developed these five key ways to take care of our wellbeing.
In this article, we will explore the 5 ways to wellbeing in more detail, but to begin with, let’s define exactly what wellbeing is.
To define wellbeing in the simplest of terms, it is essentially how we’re feeling. Wellbeing encompasses everything in our lives, from personal circumstances to external environmental factors.
Many people view wellbeing as having 7 sub-categories that all interlink to form our overall wellbeing, and these are: mental, physical, social, financial, environmental, spiritual, and vocational.
Experiencing struggles in one area can potentially lead to a dip in our overall wellbeing.
There are two layers of wellbeing – collective and personal.
Collective wellbeing refers to the wellbeing of certain groups or communities. This is often less subjective than personal wellbeing as it is commonly measured by a set of objectives. Data collected against these objectives is then averaged out to define the collective wellbeing of the community or group.
Examples of this may be local councils gathering information on the wellbeing of certain community groups to identify areas where they may need to focus funding, or work on initiatives to boost community morale.
In contrast, personal wellbeing, as the name implies, is personal to an individual and is subjective.
Everyone may have different ideas of what constitutes good wellbeing, for example one individual may feel that they have a good standard of wellbeing if they feel happy and content, even if there are certain external factors such as financial or environmental that are causing some problems.
On the other hand, another individual may only feel as though they have a good standard of wellbeing if they are content in all 7 areas of their life (mental, physical, financial etc.).
The 5 ways to wellbeing are focused on how we can achieve a good standard of personal wellbeing.
The first of the 5 ways to wellbeing is to connect. Relationships with others are a key factor in maintaining our wellbeing.
Loneliness is prevalent in the UK, and this has only been exacerbated by lockdown.
Connection with others can help to reduce loneliness, as well as provide opportunities to share positive experiences, and offer emotional support.
Here are some top tips for forming and maintaining relationships:
Regular exercise has been proven to boost our mental and physical wellbeing.
Being active doesn’t mean that you have to run 5k every day or spend hours in the gym. The best form of exercise is the one that you enjoy, whether that’s Zumba, yoga, swimming, powerlifting heavy weights, or simply just walking the dog.
You can also find ways to incorporate movement into your daily routine, for example, talking the stairs instead of the lift if you are able, hopping off the bus a stop early and walking the extra distance home, going for a lunch time walk, or doing some squats in the bathroom whilst brushing your teeth!
The third of the 5 ways to mental wellbeing is to take notice. Being present in the moment is a great way to improve our overall wellbeing, as it helps us to avoid wallowing in the past and worrying about the future.
Practice being aware of your thoughts and feelings to really connect to the moment. Mindfulness is a great technique to help with this.
Learning new things is a great way to keep our minds active, which can contribute to our overall wellbeing. Accomplishing something new is also a great self-esteem booster and can increase self-confidence.
Why not learn a new language, learn how to play an instrument, have a go at cooking a new recipe, or sign up to a college course in a subject you have always wanted to learn?
You could also combine learning something new with some of the other ways to wellbeing – connection and being active.
You could join a local sports club: learn the rules to a new game, meet individuals with similar interests, and get moving!
The final of the 5 ways to wellbeing is to give. Research shows that giving back to the local community can help improve our overall wellbeing, as demonstrated in this systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by Curry et al. in 2018.
Here are some ideas on ways to show kindness and give back to others:
These 5 ways to wellbeing are a great framework to follow in day-to-day life to help maintain a positive overall wellbeing.
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Curry, Oliver & Rowland, Lee & Van Lissa, Caspar & Zlotowitz, Sally & Mcalaney, John & Whitehouse, Harvey, 2018. Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 76. 10.1016/j.jesp.2018.02.014.
New Economics Foundation, 2011. Five Ways to Wellbeing: New applications, new ways of thinking.
Photo by Mor Shani on Unsplash.
