Upload
nicola-watkins
View
75
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
WELLBEING
PROGRAMME Engaging with the five ways to wellbeing
strategies for an enhanced quality of life.
ABSTRACT "Well-being is a dynamic state in which the
individual is able to develop their potential, work
productively and creatively, build strong and
positive relationships with others, and contribute
to their community. It is enhanced when an
individual is able to fulfil their personal and
social goals and achieve a sense of purpose in
their society.” (Huppert, 2008)
Nicola Watkins BA. (Hons) MSc Best Practice Training & Development Ltd.
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 1
Contents
PAGE
Introduction 2
Five Ways to Wellbeing 4
Connect 6
Reflection on Connect 7
Take Notice 8
Reflection on Take Notice 9
Keep Learning 10
Reflection on Keep Learning 11
Be Active 12
Reflection on Be Active 13
Give 14
Reflection on Give 15
My Journey to Wellbeing 16
Wellbeing
Take Notice
Connect
Keep Learning
Be Active
Give
Quality of Life
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 2
Introduction
The 3 Day Wellbeing programme aims to promote a community spirit whilst incorporating
five simple behaviour changes proven to improve wellbeing in our everyday lives and give us
an enhanced quality of life thereafter. As children, we are taught to seek help if we fall over
and hurt our knee, it should also be taught that it is ok to share emotions which you may be
struggling with. National statistics indicate that one in four adults will have a mental health
problem within any given year, and one in ten children aged five to sixteen will have some
form of disorder. This as you know, indicates a potential of three to four children in every
classroom, one in four people in your community or someone close to you needs additional
support. These five simple changes to develop are designed to be equivalent to dietary
advice of five portions of fruit or vegetables a day which, will keep our bodies and our minds
healthy if we try to do them regularly.
What are the Five Ways to Wellbeing and how can I use them?
The five ways to wellbeing are:
Connect: Which relationships are important to you? Maintain your supportive social
network.
Give: Does a friend need some help or a neighbour? Do something nice for a
stranger.
Take Notice: How often do you stop and smell the flowers in your garden?
Appreciate your surroundings and the beauty of nature’s changing seasons, be
present in the current moment.
Keep Learning: What have you always wanted to learn but have never taken the
time? Discover a new challenge you can set for yourself.
Be Active: What physical activity do you enjoy? It could be gardening, dancing or
going for a walk in the countryside, try to find time to do them regularly.
Wellbeing
Take Notice
Connect
Be Active
Keep Learning
Give
Quality of Life
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 3
The journey to wellbeing is a unique and personal journey, tailored to each individual’s path
and this programme will seek to support you on your journey to thrive rather than just
survive. The five foundations are simple, achievable and will help support a healthy
emotional and social way of life. We can change our way of thinking but if we do not develop
and change our behaviours, we will remain in the same place and restrict growth. As people,
members of our community and society around us. Chances are you are doing some of
these changes already and haven’t been aware of it. It is easy to become unbalanced
throughout life and this programme will introduce a range of techniques to help you remain
focused and overcome the challenges you face. The five ways to wellbeing is a way of life
which will take time and perseverance however, is open to everybody and anyone can make
these changes for an enhanced quality of life.
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 4
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 5
A sense of belonging and feeling connected is essential to our social and emotional
wellbeing. To consider, connection and what this means to us, we generally tend to think of
this as only with communication with other people. However, there are other arenas in which
the feeling of connection is also important such as:
Spiritual: Our connections with our beliefs such as religion or faith.
Nature: Our connections with our environment, animals or pets.
Individual: Our connections with our self and reflection.
Relationships: Our connections with others are one of the most important elements to
wellbeing. Relationships and friendships must be nurtured and a key foundation to
quality of life and wellbeing.
Finding our beliefs and connections to our spiritual selves, is a personal choice and taking
moments to connect with our faith and beliefs gives an appreciation for life, this time can be
essential to our wellbeing and connection to others with similar beliefs.
Appreciating our environment around us can help make us feel grounded. Imagine a
scenario where you have felt connected with nature and reflect on what parts of that moment
made it unique and special in your memory. It could be the sound of the waves gently
tickling the sand, the smell of your favourite flowers coming in to bloom in your garden in
spring time after a long autumn and winter. The memory is your own, and your sense of
connection is unique to you. Connecting with animals can reach parts of our sense of self-
worth, the feel of your pets silky, soft fur when you stroke them, or the love you feel when
they lay beside you. Feeling these moments and being aware of these connections are small
but effective methods to wellbeing.
There are moments in our lives when everything can be overwhelming and the feeling to
take some time out to yourself is important, particularly if you are in caring role with
responsibilities of supporting others. Time to yourself is important, it could be a hobby, or a
warm bubble bath with candles and essential oils. Taking a moment to yourself is essential
for your own self-care, try to give yourself one activity where you can be yourself and free
from your responsibility for a moment.
Whilst remembering, relationships and our connection with others is at the heart of our
wellbeing and nurturing those relationships should be prioritised in our schedules. It could be
a community event attended as a family, creating memories, bonding with your children and
valuing friendships maintain our social wellbeing which, supports positive emotions and
happiness in our lives. Remembering to appreciate those supportive relationships should
always be the key foundation to our own wellbeing.
“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen,
heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they
derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
Brene Brown
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 6
This space is to reflect on what we have learned from thinking about our connections and
what these mean to us. Take a moment to write your findings for future progression.
1. What spiritual connections will you try to maintain in the future?
2. How will you make time to appreciate your environment and the beauty of nature?
3. How will you maintain your key relationships?
4. How will you try to make space for yourself in your routine in future?
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 7
Modern lives are continuously changing and with rapidly developing technology it is easy to
get lost in busy schedules. There are constant distractions and deadlines to meet. We are
always thinking about tomorrow, what we have left to do to get to that project milestone that
we forget to take a moment to look at what we have achieved and our surroundings. It is
easy to forget to be aware of the present moment, to spend some silent moments and take
the time to see what is happening around us.
Sometimes it may feel chaotic and your thoughts will be racing with it. Seeking answers to
the problems which feel like they are escalating. In this moment, take some time to stop and
feel, transform a simple everyday task to calm your mind. Instead, of letting your mind race
off to the twenty different scenarios each with different outcomes, some more horrifying than
the last. Stop yourself, and choose a simple task which can be quite satisfying and focus on
that in your day. It could be the taste of toothpaste, and the feel of your teeth after they have
been cleaned. The feel of the warm water massaging your aching limbs after a long day,
with the smell of your favourite bath products lingering in the air. Appreciate the feel of the
soap bubbles caressing your skin as you wash away the day’s troubles. You may choose
anyone you like.
A simple technique which brings us to the present moment, instead of focusing on
everything that isn’t right in our lives at the moment can be a valuable tool in maintaining our
wellbeing even in times of distress.
We can forget the value in making changes to support ourselves, take notice of our
connections with others, taking notice of how much we love the smell of the woodlands on
our way through the park to take our kids to school. Notice when we are challenging
ourselves to learn something new, taking the time to appreciate and notice the community
around us and how it enhances our lives.
Wellbeing is a choice to feel good about ourselves and the progress we are making,
however small can make the difference in wellbeing and our mental and emotional
resilience.
I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined and that we can do
nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.
Stephen Hawking
WE CANNOT TEACH PEOPLE ANYTHING; WE CAN ONLY HELP THEM DISCOVER IT THEMSELVES
Galileo Galilei
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 8
This space is to reflect on what we have learned from thinking about how to be present in
the moment and take notice of our actions. Take a moment to write your findings for future
progression.
1. What opportunities can I use to reflect and take notice on actions in the future?
2. How can I slow down and appreciate the present moment?
3. What personal everyday activity can I use to appreciate the present time and why?
4. Will incorporating this make a difference to my daily life?
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 9
Learning new skills or taking up a hobby helps us grow and define as individuals. It could be
something you have always wanted to learn but have never found the time, like play the
guitar or take up a professional development course. The purpose of this is to increase our
confidence, our self-esteem and enhance our wellbeing.
This course is designed to train our minds to think differently to how we have previously, to
appreciate the small things and to enhance quality of life. It can be done as a family this in
turn will strengthen our family relationships. It could be done with friends if you are unsure of
trying something on your own. There are many things which interest you which you could do
with a friend or family member together. This will also increase the relationship bonding and
sharing experiences together.
Challenging ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and try new things can be daunting
at first, but with practice we can achieve many things we never dreamed possible if we just
take that first step. Learning doesn’t have to be academic or research it could be social or
active such as learning a new dance, discover something new about yourself, as long as you
keep learning new things you will gain satisfaction and confidence. You could discover an
old interest, rediscovering what drew you to this before and maybe experiencing new
developments. Have the techniques changed?
Be curious and keep learning as often as you can, it will give a sense of accomplishment
and improve wellbeing.
EDUCATION IS NOT THE LEARNING OF FACTS, BUT THE TRAINING OF THE MIND TO THINK
Albert Einstein
NOTHING WE LEARN IN THIS WORLD IS EVER WASTED
Eleanor Roosevelt
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 10
This space is to reflect on what we have learned from continuing our own development and
skills. Take a moment to write your findings for future progression.
1. Is there anything I would like to learn and have never found the time?
2. What interests me and what will I find valuable?
3. How can I enjoy learning?
4. How will it make a difference to my life?
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 11
Being active is an important foundation for our wellbeing which includes our mental health as
well as our physical health. We all need to make an effort to be more active and can be
different activities for all abilities. Going for a walk with the dog, swimming in the ocean or
gardening are all simple activities which have shown to improve our wellbeing.
There are times when we feel drained and exhausted from stressful routines but finding a
small space in this, even if it is just for ten minutes can have an improvement to our
wellbeing.
Making a choice to choose a small active change can be made if we make a conscious
decision to make a slight adjustment. Taking some time to look after ourselves, our bodies
and our environment around us will help improve our all-round health and wellbeing.
You can choose an activity which suits your own level of fitness and mobility, it could also be
a craft such as painting or sculpture. As evidence suggests when we do physical activity it
changes the chemistry within the brain and releases hormones which make us feel happy.
Again, if you feel unsure about signing up to fitness centres you could go with a friend or
family member. Perhaps you may like to try an outdoor fitness class and have the added
benefit of being outdoors in the sun for the vitamin D.
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out
how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Michael Jordon
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 12
This space is to reflect on what we have learned from being more active and enjoying
ourselves. Take a moment to write your findings for future progression.
1. What are my barriers preventing me from being active?
2. How can I overcome them and make small changes?
3. What sport have I always enjoyed? Has the Olympics inspired me?
4. Who can support me to be active?
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 13
Small acts of kindness can go a long way into improving our own wellbeing and helping
others. It could be a friend or neighbour needs some support or help and you can spare the
time or can give a small present to make them smile.
Giving our time can be rewarding and all relationships are based upon give and take. Giving
to others can make us feel good and this in turn improves our wellbeing and self-esteem.
Some people can be happy to give but feel uncomfortable to receive, which could be
material or compliments.
As an example giving some encouragement to someone who needs it, giving way to another
car on your journey, stopping to help someone struggling with their shopping bags. These
small acts seem small but will make a big difference to someone’s day.
Giving doesn’t have to be financial or material it can be through gestures or compliments.
Don’t forget to treat yourself too. Be kind to yourself and give yourself the gift of
incorporating the five ways into your life.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 14
This space is to reflect on what we have learned from giving our time, our smile and our
compliments. Take a moment to write your findings for future progression.
1. How can I give time to myself?
2. How can I make time for others?
3. How will I learn to incorporate this into my life and my community?
4. How will this make a difference to me as an individual?
WELLBEING PROGRAMME
NICOLA WATKINS BA. (HONS) MSC 15
This space is to reflect on what we have learned from the programme and the start to your
journey for wellbeing, take a moment to write your goals and strategies to implement
wellbeing into your life.