New Year's Resolution

I guess most of us have made a promise to ourselves somehow to be better people in 2011.  Having already lost an extraordinary amount of weight and tidied up the garden, I was looking around myself for a new theme this year.  I was therefore very pleased the other day to come across some material which is used by the CAIS Training team in delivering its day programme of activities for people recovering from substance misuse problems.  The Five Ways to Wellbeing is a simple philosophy of how to make life a little more enjoyable and fulfilling.  I defy anybody not to take something from it.  See what you think?  Happy New Year.

Five Ways to Wellbeing

A review of the most up-to-date evidence suggests that building the following five actions into our day-to-day lives is important for well-being:

Connect...
With the people around you.  With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.  At home, work, school or in your local community.  Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them.  Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.

Be Active...
Go for a walk or run.  Step outside.  Cycle.  Play a game.  Garden.  Dance.  Exercising makes you feel good.  Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

Take Notice...
Be curious.  Catch sight of the beautiful.  Remark on the unusual.  Notice the changing seasons.  Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends.  Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling.  Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

Keep Learning...
Try something new.  Rediscover an old interest.  Sign up for that course.  Take on a different responsibility at work.  Fix a bike.  Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food.  Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving.  Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.

Give...
Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger.  Thank someone.  Smile.  Volunteer your time.  Join a community group.  Look out, as well as in.  Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

Centre for Wellbeing, NEF (the New Economics Foundation)