5 ways to well-being

Introduction

Good mental health is not just the absence of a mental health disorder. It is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

Wellbeing

Feelings of contentment, enjoyment, confidence and engagement with the world are all a part of mental wellbeing, as are self-esteem and self-confidence.
We all want to feel good – about ourselves and the world around us – and to be able to get the most from our lives. There is also evidence that good mental wellbeing is important for our physical health too.

Evidence suggests there are five steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing;

• Connecting with others
• Getting Active
• Giving
• Learning
• Taking Notice

Increase your life expectancy

By adopting the five ways to wellbeing, you can increase your life expectancy by 7.5 years. One in four people experience mental distress during their lifetime, there’s never been a better time to take your mental health into your own hands.

Assess your well-being

You can assess your wellbeing or check your mood using Health Tools from the NHS Choices.

The MoodGym ia an interactive, self-help tool based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy. It is designed to help you identify whether you are having problems with your emotions and to teach you skills to help cope with your emotions. Have a look at the Moodgym website.

E-couch provides information about emotional problems - what causes them, how to prevent them and how to treat them. It includes exercises to help you understand yourself and others better. It also provides you with a set of strategies that might help you to improve your life.

One you can help to see how how you a re doing with your overall health and wellbeing.

Further advice

Many organisations offer pro-active help and advice for people struggling with their mental wellbeing.  Moodmaster is a course delivered by a number of organisations in the community and aims to help people develop techniques to enhance their emotional health and wellbeing.

Further support

If you would like to know how to access more support for issues relating to low mood, depression, anxiety, emotional problems and general mental wellbeing and also find a Counsellor near to you, access this useful directory for counselling services.

Please note we do not endorse any particular counselling service listed in the directory.