wellbeing…whats stopping you?
Hello.
how are you today?
There's so much to say about wellbeing isn’t there? I notice often that it can be a bit of a tick box exercise, another ‘thing’ on the to do list And I've talked many times about the impact of bigger systems and structures on how people are really able to look after themselves. As Desmond Tutu said,
There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.
This is something I will keep coming back to in my work, but what can we can do ourselves, regardless of what exists beyond us to really support our wellbeing.
The Government Office for Science describes mental wellbeing as:
…a dynamic state in which the individual is able to develop their potential work productively and creatively build strong and positive relationships with others and contribute to their community. It is enhanced when an individual is able to fulfill their personal and social goals and achieve a sense of purpose in society. And there have been a number of models that have come out that support us to think about our own wellbeing.
Many of you will know about the five ways to wellbeing that came out in 2011. It's a set of evidence based public health messages, which was aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing of the population. The five ways to wellbeing were developed by the New Economics Foundation and were commissioned by Foresight, which is the UK government’s Futures think tank.
The five ways are:
1. Connect. This is about how good relationships are really important for wellbeing.
2. Be active. We all know that exercise, moving our body well is good for us.
3. Taking notice is about paying more attention to the present.
4. Learning new skills can help boost self-confidence, self-esteem again, connecting to that sense of purpose and helping you connect with others.
5. Give: There has been a huge amount of research around how acts of giving and kindness can improve your mental wellbeing.
It’s so logical, isn't it? To be healthy? To eat well, sleep well, make sure we’re hydrated. It’s not rocket science that we need to move our body, connect with people that we love and that bring us joy, get fresh air, go to doctor's appointments or sort your teeth out at the dentist. Common sense, right?
So why do we not do them? What stops us from doing the things that help us be well?
I think a big part of this is the way that we talk to ourselves - the fact that we can be so kind and so compassionate and have huge amounts of empathy for others. And yet we struggle to do the same for ourselves.
We need to explore more and, and what I explore with people who come and work with me, is the relationship to self. Our mental and physical wellbeing starts with a solid, loving relationship to self. Loving ourselves and knowing we’re worth it (yep, I did go there). Recognising that we are our best resource, and we need to look after it. Knowing ourselves, listening to ourselves and pushing ourselves to live a happier and more content life.
You deserve kindness. You deserve to be treated kindly, and that starts with the person closest to you. You.
Click HERE to listen to my recent podcast about wellbeing to learn more.
To celebrate my business birthday, I am offering a number of RESET plus sessions for only £99 (normally £197).
In this short, snappy package you will get an hour’s 1:1 coaching with me, a mini homework enquiry of powerful questions for you to get curious about, and a follow up 30 minute session, to reflect on learning (and is helpful for accountability).
Use the code FIRSTBIRTHDAY and this offer ends 30 June 2021.