Are you aware of the “5 ways to mental well-being?”

You may be thinking about the 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day for physical well-being; I am not referring to this.  I am talking about mental well-being and the ways we could enhance it.  The best thing about this message is that it is simple and straightforward and supported by a fairly robust evidence base.  To find out more, >>Click here<<

 



We, at the Devon Partnership NHS Trust were recently involved in “The 5 Ways to Mental Well-being” project.  The aim was to look at the best ways to communicate the message about “The Five Ways.”   >>Click Here<< to read the full report.

So what are the 5 ways?

Although not the same order used by their originators, we found it useful to remember
them as ‘CLANG’.

Connect…

With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home,
work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life
and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich
you every day.

Keep Learning…

Try something new. Re-discover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a
different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook
your favourite food. Set a challenge you enjoy achieving. Learning new things will
make you more confident as well as being fun.

Be Active…

Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising
makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that
suits your level of mobility and fitness.

Take Notice…

Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing
seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking
to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on
your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

Give…

Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your
time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your
happiness, as linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates
connections with the people around you.

As part of our project, we have a number of available resources that one could make use of.

>>Click here<< for the Self help Ebook.  Hope you are able to read through the Ebook and use it to enhance your well-being.

If you find the information useful, you may want to think of who else might benefit from it…do feel free to pass on copies of the Ebook or a link to this post.

Finally, I would welcome your comments about our project.

Enjoy and take good care of yourself!

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An interesting concept in narrative coaching is that people are multi “story-ed” and that we live in and out of our stories.

Most of us have told ourselves and others our problem stories many times, over and over again. We keep updating and modifying our stories depending on life context and self-responsibility we bear at any moment. Owning up to our perceptions of reality or challenging our problem stories is not child’s play. This poses its own challenges and requires perseverance.

In this post I want to share a few ideas, about what may underpin our ability to let go our problem stories.  Click for more wellness...

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“Mirror, mirror on the wall” – Exercise and Self Worth

July 19, 2010
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My friend, Linda Wolf (@insaneserene), recently posted a blog post on receiving compliments. It was this post that prompted me to think about the benefits of the Mirror Exercise and this is what got me musing… For those who are not aware of the mirror exercise, it is a simple yet powerful exercise that helps [...]

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Create your most meaningful “Do, Be and Have” list (and live it), before time runs out!

March 3, 2010
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Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever – Gandhi This post is inspired by the Bollywood movie titled “Dasvidaniya – the Best Ever Goodbye ”. A middle aged, introvert man leads a restricted lifestyle dictacted by his circumstances and others around him. He makes a “things [...]

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What would you rather do when you get upset with a loved one – suppress or express your emotions?

February 5, 2010
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Why it matters… Suppressing negative emotions “The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy” – Jim Rohn Our feelings or emotions may not define our true self but they form an integral part of how we experience life. Whether we feel happy, sad, anxious, curious, angry or calm, [...]

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How to Rescue Your New Year’s Goals

January 13, 2010
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(This is a guest post by Suraj Gogoi) Want to rescue some of your new year’s goals? I usually find it inspiring to read about people’s new year resolutions. However, it can be disappointing when sometimes the focus of resolutions seem to be based solely on the achievement of  ‘outcomes’. It is no surprise that [...]

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