07/08/2024
The 5 steps to mental wellbeing are a set of actions we can try to include in our daily family lives to help improve and maintain our mental wellbeing.
1: Be physically active
You don't have to join the gym or anything. This step is about making simple choices to ensure everyone in the family makes some time for physical movement during each day. Choosing to walk up a staircase instead of taking the lift for example.
2. Connect with others
Having some time as a family, chatting to friends in person or on the phone, joining clubs and activities out and about, and joining peer support groups are just some of the ways to ensure we have some contact with others in our daily family lives.
3. Learn new skills
You don't have to go to school, college or university to learn something new. Simply take some time to learn about your family's interests that you don't already know, research on the Internet, try cooking a new meal, complete a puzzle, or follow a video to complete a DIY task etc.
4. Give to others
You don't need to spend money to give to others. Take some time to do something for others... even having a chat with someone and listening attentively is giving. Try helping out with each others daily tasks or homework, for example.
5. Take notice of how you are feeling
This step is about 'mindfulness'. It's about avoiding getting caught up in our heads about our concerns, and paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, body and the world around us. Really take time to think about what your body is experiencing, e.g. breathe in the outside air, think about your muscles and try to relax each one, give yourself a target for the day when you wake up, savour every mouthful of your meals, take a step back before reacting and rethink your responses to what is going on around you etc.
Tell us in the comments how you practice any of these 5 steps.
