How to achieve well being

5 steps to mental wellbeing

Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.

Information:

Coronavirus advice

Get advice about coronavirus and looking after your mental wellbeing:

Every Mind Matters: how to look after your mental wellbeing while staying at home
Mind: Coronavirus and your wellbeing

1. Connect with other people

Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. They can:

help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth
give you an opportunity to share positive experiences
provide emotional support and allow you to support others

There are lots of things you could try to help build stronger and closer relationships:

Do

if possible, take time each day to be with your family, for example, try arranging a fixed time to eat dinner together
arrange a day out with friends you have not seen for a while
try switching off the TV to talk or play a game with your children, friends or family
have lunch with a colleague
visit a friend or family member who needs support or company
volunteer at a local school, hospital or community group. Find out how to volunteer on the GOV.UK website
make the most of technology to stay in touch with friends and family. Video-chat apps like Skype and FaceTime are useful, especially if you live far apart

2. Be physically active

Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

raising your self-esteem
helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them
causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood

Find out more about getting active

Do

find free activities to help you get fit
if you have a disability or long-term health condition, find out about getting active with a disability
start running with our couch to 5k podcasts
find out how to start swimming, cycling or dancing
find out about getting started with exercise

3.

Learn new skills

Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem
helping you to build a sense of purpose
helping you to connect with others

Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots of different ways to bring learning into your life.

Some of the things you could try include:

Do

try learning to cook something new. Find out about healthy eating and cooking tips
try taking on a new responsibility at work, such as mentoring a junior staff member or improving your presentation skills
work on a DIY project, such as fixing a broken bike, garden gate or something bigger. There are lots of free video tutorials online
consider signing up for a course at a local college. You could try learning a new language or a practical skill such as plumbing
try new hobbies that challenge you, such as writing a blog, taking up a new sport or learning to paint

4. Give to others

Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:

creating positive feelings and a sense of reward
giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth
helping you connect with other people

It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.

Some examples of the things you could try include:

saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you
asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer
spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company
offering to help someone you know with DIY or a work project
volunteering in your community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home

5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)

Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

Read more about mindfulness, including steps you can take to be more mindful in your everyday life.

Information:

The 5 ways to wellbeing were researched and developed by the New Economics Foundation.

The mental health charity Mind also offer more information about the 5 ways to wellbeing.

Page last reviewed: 6 November 2019
Next review due: 6 November 2022

Wellbeing - Better Health Channel

Summary

Read the full fact sheet

Every aspect of your life influences your state of wellbeing.
Some people believe that wealth is a fast track to happiness. Yet various international studies have shown that it’s the quality of our personal relationships, not the size of our bank balances, which has the greatest effect on our state of wellbeing.
Keeping track of a population's wellbeing helps governments to decide on particular policies.

About wellbeing

Wellbeing is not just the absence of disease or illness. It’s a complex combination of a person's physical, mental, emotional and social health factors. Wellbeing is strongly linked to happiness and life satisfaction. In short, wellbeing could be described as how you feel about yourself and your life.

Factors that influence wellbeing

Every aspect of your life influences your state of wellbeing. Researchers investigating happiness have found the following factors enhance a person's wellbeing:

happy intimate relationship with a partner
network of close friends
enjoyable and fulfilling career
enough money
regular exercise
nutritional diet
enough sleep
spiritual or religious beliefs
fun hobbies and leisure pursuits
healthy self-esteem
optimistic outlook
realistic and achievable goals
sense of purpose and meaning
a sense of belonging
the ability to adapt to change
living in a fair and democratic society.

The factors that influence wellbeing are interrelated. For example, a job provides not just money but purpose, goals, friendships and a sense of belonging. Some factors also make up for the lack of others. For example, a good marriage can compensate for a lack of friendships, while religious beliefs may help a person come to terms with physical illness.

Wealth is not the key

Money is linked to wellbeing because having enough money improves living conditions and increases social status. However, happiness may increase with income but only to a point.

Many people believe that wealth is a fast track to happiness. But it's not true. Various international studies have shown that it’s the quality of our personal relationships, not the size of our bank balance, which has the greatest effect on our state of wellbeing.

Believing that money is the key to happiness can also harm a person's wellbeing. For example, a person who chooses to work a lot of overtime misses out on time with family, friends and leisure activities.

The added stress of long working hours may also reduce a person's life satisfaction. Research shows that people who chase 'extrinsic' goals like money and fame are more anxious, depressed and dissatisfied than people who value 'intrinsic' goals like close relationships with loved ones.

Wellbeing can be elusive

Wellbeing is important, but seems a little hard to come by. One American study into mental health found that, while one in four respondents was depressed, only one in five was happy – the rest fell somewhere between, neither happy nor depressed. An Australian consumer study into wellbeing showed that:

58% wish they could spend more time on improving their health and wellbeing.
79% of parents with children aged less than 18 years of age wish they could spend more time on improving their health and wellbeing.
83% are prepared to pay more money for products or services that enhance their feelings of wellbeing.

Measuring national wellbeing

Measuring wellbeing in a population is difficult because the interpretation of wellbeing is so subjective – how you feel about your life largely depends on the way you see it. Like the saying goes, one person's problem is another person's challenge. Australian researchers try to measure wellbeing to keep tabs on living conditions. A typical approach to measuring wellbeing is to count the number of individuals affected by a particular factor.

For example, it is helpful to keep track of how many people:

Have cancer.
Are single, married or divorced.
Exercise on a regular basis.
Smoke or drink.
Are on unemployment benefits.
Are victims of crime.
Are unable to read or write.

Keeping track of a population's wellbeing helps governments to decide on particular policies. For example, knowing the average weekly income of a population helps to set the 'poverty line', which may then influence decisions on social welfare reform.

Results depend on what is measured

Survey results tend to differ depending on what was measured. For example, an Australian survey of young people found that eight in every 10 reported feeling satisfied with their lives, including how they felt about their work, studies, income and relationships. However, this positive picture is contradicted by another survey, which found that about half of all young Australians are grappling with a difficult problem such as depression or alcohol abuse. Wellbeing is an unclear concept that is hard to pin down with graphs, charts and statistics.

How to achieve wellbeing

Develop and maintain strong relationships with family and friends.
Make regular time available for social contact.
Try to find work that you find enjoyable and rewarding, rather than just working for the best pay.
Eat wholesome, nutritious foods.
Do regular physical activity.
Become involved in activities that interest you.
Join local organisations or clubs that appeal to you.
Set yourself achievable goals and work towards them.
Try to be optimistic and enjoy each day.

Where to get help

Your doctor.
Family and friends.
Counsellor.
Lifeline Tel. 13 11 14.
Kids Help Line Tel. 1800 551 800.

Using meditation for less stress and better wellbeing, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

The energy of money: how to achieve financial well-being with the right thoughts

The topic of financial well-being will probably always be relevant - we live in a world in which even minimal comfort requires material costs. Money allows us to indulge in good, active leisure, quality food and other needs. How can you attract abundance into your life? As it turned out, there is nothing complicated about this - the mood for financial well-being can be considered the secret of success. AnySports advises you to start following these tips right now!

Everything is connected

Medium from the USA Tanya Carroll Richardson has identified simple rules that will help you attract luck and money into your life. Love, health and money - all these pillars of human happiness are intertwined to one degree or another. At the same time, the psychic strongly advises to accustom yourself to always monitor your finances, regardless of problems on the love front, or some other unrest in life. In addition, you should never be ashamed of the money problems that have arisen. In this case, you can seek advice from specialists who will help you sort out difficult issues for you - repayment of a loan that is hanging by a heavy load, mortgages, and the purchase of securities. As soon as you manage to establish control over your finances, you will notice positive changes in other equally important areas of your life.

Money attracts money

“Money is not just a physical currency or financial concept, money is energy,” says Tanya Richardson, drawing on years of experience with clients. Having studied the habits of people with different material status, the medium advises to get a savings account, or a deposit in order to save at least small amounts. Even modest but constant replenishment of your account will be able to awaken the energy that will continue to attract money to the family.

Work on your mistakes

Think about your attitude towards rash, unplanned, and simply unprofitable money transactions. Financial "wounds" need to be treated in the same way as physical and emotional ones. To do this, the medium advises to have a notebook where you can write down absolutely all your income and expenses - random, permanent, successful and not very good. So it will be easier for you to understand how it is more profitable to distribute the available finances. Do not neglect your wins and losses - such life lessons will help you learn how to distribute money wisely, this is a great way to attract money.

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9000

Nadezhda gives a case

Richardson is often approached by clients who stop believing that they will ever meet a soul mate. And it is precisely the rejection of hope for happiness in the arms of a loved one, according to her, that becomes the main obstacle to his search, the medium claims. People simply become isolated and lose their unique energy, which significantly reduces the chances of happiness. The same can happen with money and financial well-being. Do you have a difficult money situation or just want to increase your existing income? Then in no case do not lose hope and do what you can to achieve the intended goal. “Be on the lookout for inspiration and opportunity. They can come at any time. Hope is the gateway to miracles,” advises Richardson.

Get inspired and improve your health with a yoga course from Anna Lunegova. Learn more about the course here.

Meditate

Each of us has helper angels who can be contacted with any requests and questions, including getting a hint on how to attract money to the house. “You just need to settle down in meditation or prayer and ask for some kind of divine help with your finances,” the medium explains. At the same time, Richardson reminds that this request will not replace the usual way to raise money - work.

If you want to solve all your financial problems and bring money into the house, the universe can point us in the right direction to happiness, but only you have to decide what to do to achieve it. Therefore, the advice of a psychic writer is not an indispensable instruction - they will not replace good financial planning, but they will perfectly complement it.

Photo: bigstock.com

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"Helping others succeed is the best way to become successful yourself." Deepak Chopra on financial well-being

People should pay attention to their level of well-being, because if they do not, the consequences can be dire, American doctor and writer Deepak Chopra said in an interview with CNBC. In addition, Chopra gave 5 tips on how to achieve financial prosperity.

According to Chopra, overall well-being includes life purpose (or career), social, physical, community and financial factors. For example, social well-being refers to feeling safe and involved in one's community, while social well-being is determined by the quality of a person's relationships with family and friends.

"If we don't address these five levels of well-being... we will be closer to a global catastrophe," says Chopra.

The expert is sure that financial health is more than just a financial situation. If a person is under financial stress, it will increase their cortisol levels and weaken the immune system. “A person starts an inflammatory process, which makes him more susceptible to chronic and acute diseases, including COVID-19.", - he said.

According to a survey by the National Foundation for Financial Education, 4 out of 5 Americans, or 84%, experience financial stress. Another study by Fidelity found that 79% of women, who tend to be more cautious about financial decisions than men, feel burdened by money matters.

While people may have real reasons to worry about money, financial well-being is ultimately a state of mind, says Chopra. “It has nothing to do with the amount of money you have, it has to do with how secure you feel with that money,” he explained.

Chopra gave 5 tips on how to achieve financial prosperity faster:

Don't spend money you don't earn on things you don't need to impress people you don't like.

Set aside 10% of your income each month. "I've been doing this since 1970 when I was making $202 a month," he said.

Find an employer who cares about their employees and offers benefits such as retirement, disability, and insurance.

Learn more