Five Ways to Wellbeing

Mental Health Awareness is not something to just think about for one week of the year and is not just about mental ill health and diagnosed conditions. It is about maintaining our mental wellbeing; managing stress, taking time for ourselves and generally feeling good.

This affects all of us, but many people fail to recognise that and so fail to look after their own mental wellbeing. In the worst case this could lead to an eventual breakdown or period of ill health, but for many it means we are not functioning at our best and not feeling as good as we possibly could do.

Mindful Employer is an NHS initiative supporting mental wellbeing at work. They have produced a short film that explores how anxiety affects the ability to work and carry out other day-to-day activities, and highlights key ways to aid recovery. The film considers how it feels to experience generalized anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and PTSD and some practical ways in which to aid and achieve recovery. Check out the video on YouTube.

Just as there are steps you can take to look after your physical health, there are practical ways to improve your wellbeing; the Five Ways to Wellbeing:

  • Connect with your community
  • Be Active
  • Take Notice
  • Keep Learning
  • Give and Volunteer

There are many local organisations like Oxfordshire Mind that offer practical ways to help you build the five ways into your life. Try some of the activities below; make a positive difference to how you feel and Thrive in Oxford!

Connect with your community

Talk to the people around you; with your friends, family, colleagues and your neighbours:

Be Active

Find an activity you enjoy; go for a bike ride, take up dancing, do a spot of gardening or just step outside for a walk!

  • GO Active can signpost you to where you can do more sport or physical activity
  • Go Active Families gives indoor and outdoor ideas to help get the whole family active
  • Why not try a health walk?
  • Active Body, Healthy Mind offer supported sport and physical activity sessions for people experiencing mental ill health
  • find out about swimming, the gym and classes at your local leisure centre, run by More Leisure
  • Generation Games is an activity network for over 50s run by Age UK Oxfordshire
  • If you would like support in how to move more with a long term health condition, check out Move Together, our free physical activity support programme
  • Access Sport provide opportunities for 5-25 year olds to experience and enjoy the power of sport
  • For families to be active together you can check out our You Move programme (eligibility criteria apply)
  • move more with advice from the NHS
  • swap your drive into work with a walk or cycle in perhaps? Or try getting off the bus a few stops earlier and strolling the final leg in
  • take the stairs and ditch the lift!
  • see our timetable of local activities below for some suggestions

Take Notice

Be curious and savour the moment whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends:

  • start a mindfulness course with the Oxford Mindfulness Centre
  • take a lunchtime walk with a colleague
  • simply take some time to enjoy the moment

Keep Learning

Try something new or re-discover an old interest. Sign up for a course and learn how fix a bike, cook a new dish or start a new career:

Give and Volunteer

Do something nice for a friend or stranger; could just be giving them a big smile or volunteer your time to do something worthwhile:

More information on mental health

For more information visit the Oxfordshire Mind website.

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