With this important week looming greatly in our calendars, it’s time to ask ourselves what exactly is well-being and how can we foster greater self-care into our own lives. The World Wellbeing Week, a yearly campaign that is now in its 5th year, has already shown us that the concept of wellbeing is far reaching and encapsulates so many aspects of our daily lives – social, physical, emotional, financial, career, community and environmental, wherever we live in the world.
So what is well being? People say that it’s about having good life satisfaction and fulfilment, i.e. living a life in line with their values while having purpose and control of their lives. Many say it’s about having good health and enough money (how much is enough?), enjoying a sense of vitality and fun, having outside interests/pursuits and being in harmony and balance with our environment so we can make the most of what we have available to us. One thing is for sure, it takes both time and trial and error to finely tune a life that helps us reach our full wellbeing potential in all areas of work, home life, leisure time and our downtime including the quality of our sleep.
So how can we assess whether we currently have good well being? Sometimes, it’s as easy as asking yourself a series of important questions like:
- Do I feel hopeful and energetic about the future?
- Do I know how to relax and self care?
- Do I feel useful in both my personal and professional life?
- Do I feel socially connected and interested in people?
- Do I feel loved in my life / am I respected?
- Am I able to make good decisions?
- Am I able to cope well when things go wrong?
- Can I think clearly and concentrate?
- Do I feel cheerful and positive most of the time?
- Can I recognize and look after my emotional needs?
If you have never asked yourself questions like these, maybe it’s time to stop and reflect and see where improvements in your self care and well being can come from, here are some ideas that will help you start the process:
Connect with People:
As a clinician, when it comes to exercising well being – I like to educate my clients on the importance of spending time and effort in nurturing close friendships and connections with people, not just with your family but others too. Remember – it’s the quality of those connections rather than the quantity so you don’t need lots of people, just a few meaningful connections will suffice. The more friends/acquaintances you have the more energy you will have to expend on maintaining them so choose wisely.
Try to foster friends that you can talk honestly to and just be yourself with, free from judgement , people who are there for you through good times and bad, who allow you to just be. It may seem like a tall task finding these kinds of people but they really are everywhere if you just take your time to look and choose. Maybe a prerequisite to finding ‘your people’ is truly understanding what your own values are – what makes you tick as an individual, what do you believe in, stand for, want to be remembered by.
When you have good people in your life, you feel more inclined to ask for help when you are struggling, which is another important factor in managing your wellbeing. There is no such thing as a perfect life, challenges will always present themselves to you often when you least expect them but it’s how you face them that matters. By asking for help from family, friends, acquaintances or mental health experts (if you have access to these resources) can really benefit how you bounce back from lifes’ hurdles and can help to build your resilience.
Try to remind yourself to catch up with a valued friend that you may have lost touch with, catching up with old friends who know your history can be very therapeutic and grounding.
Try to be physically active each day and get plenty of sleep:
Exercise not only benefits your physical health but research has shown that it can greatly improve your mental well being (Mahindru et al., 2023). Engaging in exercise releases endorphins in your body, these natural hormones help to alleviate pain, lower stress, improve mood, and enhance your sense of well-being. Furthermore, exercise tires you out and can help you build a good sleep routine, another very important factor in mental well being. Aim to get an adequate night’s sleep of at least 7-8 hours, ideally retiring to bed at a consistent time each night and try to recognize when you are extra tired and may need longer sleep. Maybe treat yourself to a lie in at the weekend, to allow your body and mind to recuperate.
Some people find it helpful to invest in technology e.g. purchasing a fitbit so they can track their daily activities/steps and monitor the quality of their sleep so they can stay on track. Not everyday needs to be perfect but look at your average over a week or even a month to know you are moving in the right direction, developing these good habits over time will have a positive knock on effect to your well being.
Helping Others:
Research has shown that helping others or showing kindness to people can have a positive impact on your well being, often by giving you a sense of reward, purpose and self-worth. In turn this helps you to connect with people and build friendship and belonging. Small acts of kindness or even volunteering in your local community can be particularly valuable for older people who may have lost their life long partner and are feeling lonely and purposeless (Warner, L. et al., 2023).
Be Present and Mindful:
Try to pay more attention to what is happening in the here and now, in this moment, rather than losing yourself to the past or dreaming endlessly about the future. Paying close attention to your thoughts and feelings and what they are telling you can give you vital clues as to what is currently occurring in your body and in your mind, so you can be aware of what needs your close attention. We often spend time trying to avoid difficult thoughts, feelings and sensations but if this becomes a habit, we can develop anxiety over time.
Spending time with people when you are truly present and without distractions is a really rewarding experience for all concerned, however it takes practice. We have set ourselves up in present day society to be constantly multi-tasking, instead we have to remind ourselves to STOP, be still and be present with ourselves and others.
A few things to be mindful off as they may cause in a decline in your well-being if they are persistent are:
- Poor or inconsistent sleep
- Substance abuse (alcohol, smoking or drugs)
- Gambling on a regular basis
- Social isolation/ poor relationships
- Dissatisfaction at work
- Poor nutrition
- Inactivity
- Dehydration
- Long term illness
It’s important to pay attention to these factors while taking into consideration our particular environment or circumstances which may be constantly changing. If you notice that the lows are greater than the highs and If you are able, reach out to a counsellor for support to help you through these challenges. And always remember, you have the power to change your well-being, once you know where to begin.
To meet with a professional psychologist or counsellor, call The Other Clinic at 8809 0659 or email us hello@theotherclinic.sg.
References:
Mahindru A, Patel P & Agrawal V; The Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review, 2023
Warner L, Kwok J, Choi N: Effects of Volunteering on Loneliness, Social and Mental health Outcomes Among Older Adults, The American Journal of Psychiatry, Dec 2023