What activities support wellbeing?

The concept of well-being is a complex combination of factors which isn’t just about physical health. If someone were to ask you how you are, you would undoubtedly answer them whilst thinking about your physical body. You would probably not go into a detailed discussion about your emotional well-being as this would seem almost a taboo subject.

Well-being though is a complete mix of physical and emotional facets within us and one so often affects the other that to separate the two areas is difficult.

As a coach, when discussing well-being with my clients, I would spend time and look at their emotional, physical, mental and social well-being when devising a wellness programme for them.

Your life isn’t just affected by how physically fit and healthy you are. Indeed even if you are in the best physical health possible, you can still have a negative feeling of well-being if you are depressed or anxious. Therefore you need to view the topic of well-being as a whole and make sure you’re looking after every area of your life to have a balanced and harmonious sense of good health.

Activities which support your well-being should be incorporated into your daily routine. Taking part in fun activities with other people, trying something new, creating new friends and adding physical activity to your day are all ways you can reduce stress and improve your mental health.

What are the 5 steps for wellbeing?

When looking at your well-being it is so easy to just focus on the physical aspects. Exercise, sleep, staying hydrated and your diet will always be the first things you think about. You will know all about the importance of your “five a day” when it comes to food but did you know there are also five areas of well-being to focus on which will improve your mental health? These areas are;

Connect
Be active
Be mindful
Keep learning
Give.

There is evidence to suggest that incorporating these five areas into your day will vastly improve your mental health and this will then have a positive effect on your emotional and physical health as well.

21 Easy Activities For Well-Being

1. Take regular exercise

Exercise is something always recommended for improving mental well-being. It is the release of endorphins into your body when you exercise which will make you feel great and improve your mental health.

The other aspect of exercise which is so powerful on your emotions is the way you view yourself. Most people, when they exercise will have a positive view of themselves.

Exercise not only improves physical fitness from the inside but also makes you look better on the outside. This in turn is a boost to confidence and self-esteem therefore increasing mental well-being as well.

2. Go for a walk in nature

Being out in nature is also good for the mind and body. You will no doubt be aware of how good you can feel when you go for a bracing walk, stroll along a beach or breathe in fresh countryside air. The tonic being out in nature can give you is amazing for your whole body.

Next time you are feeling a bit low or sluggish, get out into the fresh air and appreciate all of the wonders nature has to offer you.

3. Take up a practice of mindfulness

As mentioned above one of the five steps for well-being is to be mindful. Over the last few years, the concept of mindfulness has moved from an alternative practice to a mainstream application.

Mindfulness is something anyone can do at any time or anywhere. It is simply the concept of being aware of what is going on around you and living totally in the moment. Using mindfulness techniques can help to reduce stress and anxiety, thus lowering blood pressure and improving mental and physical well-being.

4. Spend some time gardening

Gardening is another pastime which is good for both physical and mental well-being. Whether you are planting full borders or just a few pots to decorate around your front door, the physical act of planting is the same on your overall mental and physical health.

Not only do you get physical exercise but planting herbs and medicinal flowers will boost your health as well. Lavender for example will give off a blast of perfume that will immediately relax and de-stress you while planting mint or rosemary will give you a mental blast, helping your memory.

5. Learn to dance

You will find it pretty difficult to feel miserable when you are dancing so if you want a hobby that is going to boost all-round good health get on your dancing shoes.

Dancing is a fantastic aerobic activity which will raise your heart rate, burn fat and get you fit but it’s the mental health benefits as well that make dance so important for well-being.

Dancing will often involve groups of people, therefore it is a great way to meet people and socialise. As mentioned before, connection is one of the five steps to well-being, as well as being active, learning and mindfulness.

Dancing covers everything when it comes to health so why not start adding dance to your daily routine?

6. Read a good book

When was the last time you allowed yourself to settle down with a good book and read for a few hours? Many people would never indulge in a book session as they would feel like they are being wasteful of their time.

The truth is sitting down and reading a book can be just as beneficial for your health as going out for a jog or eating a healthy meal.

Reading a book incorporates some of the five steps to well-being; learning and mindfulness. Never feel it’s something just for when you are on holiday, if you feel like giving yourself a boost get out your favourite book and start reading.

7. Writing in your journal

Journaling like mindfulness, is another practice which had exploded in recent years. There is no end of journals to buy and journaling courses to sign up for. There is much evidence to support the benefits for your health by daily journaling.

Journaling is good for mental and emotional well-being and is especially good for people who suffer from stress or anxiety. Spending some time every day to write in a journal can be a very cathartic experience. It can help you to evaluate your thoughts, think more rationally and put your life into perspective.

8. Take up daily meditation

Like mindfulness, a daily practice of meditation is a great way to boost health fast.

Meditation incorporates breathing exercises, encourages you to release negative feelings and helps you to focus on the moment, all ways which can help to reduce stress and anxiety and leave you with a greater sense of well-being both emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Whether you spend an hour or ten minutes is not important, just doing a daily practice will be a boost for your overall health.

9. Do some volunteer work

Giving is another one of the five steps for well-being. So if you are looking for ways to , look to doing some volunteer work. Volunteering doesn’t just aid the people you are helping, you will get a real jump start for helping other people, a real feel-good shot that will increase your sense of all-round well-being.

Have a quick read of this article in happiful magazine for a greater in-depth look at how volunteering can help you.

10. Develop the skill of cooking

When you bite into something good you love you will appreciate how happy it can make you feel, the art of cooking can also have the same effect.

Cooking can help to raise self-awareness and boost your confidence. When you plan and think about what you are putting into your body, you will become more aware and mindful of the benefits of food.

This in turn will help you to eat healthier, become fitter and look and feel better than ever.

Cooking can help you master skills, overcome obstacles and help you to become aware of time management and multi-tasking.

Hard to imagine isn’t it that cooking can give you so much as well as something amazing to eat at the end?

11. Practice yoga

Yoga, like meditation, is a great way to aid physical, spiritual and emotional well-being. You don’t need to be able to perform headstands or be able to sit in the lotus position to enjoy your practice.

Even just incorporating a few simple, easy poses into your daily routine can have a major impact on your overall health and well-being quickly.

12. Become more creative with arts and crafts

You might not have the artistic skill set of Michelangelo but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t enjoy being creative with arts and crafts. Being creative is a fun way to boost your health and again it involves some of the five steps to well-being.

You can learn new skills, and connect with new people and it will keep you mindful. All of these attributes will lead to you being more engaged will help with stress and anxiety, and is good for mental and physical health.

13. Socialise with friends

Meeting up with your friends and socialising is excellent for mental and physical well-being. Laughing and enjoying the company of another person is an amazing way to boost the feel-good hormones in your body.

When you feel in need of a boost to help your well-being, connect with one of your friends, take some to enjoy their company and improve your overall health.

14. Exercise the mind with puzzles or quizzes

There’s nothing like an engaging puzzle or quiz to get your mind engaged and focused. As you get older, it is important to use your brain more, you know the phrase “use it or lose it.”

Doing some puzzles or quizzes every day will keep your mental health sharp and alert. They are fun, easy ways of giving your mental health a quick, easy boost.

15. Practice deep breathing exercises

Do you suffer from stress and anxiety? Do you feel overwhelmed in some situations? If the answer is yes to either of these questions then you need to develop a deep breathing exercise routine to help you.

Stress, anxiety and overwhelm can lead to serious health conditions if you don’t keep an eye on them. Deep breathing is an excellent way of lowering blood pressure and making you feel more calm and relaxed.

16. Take a relaxing bath

There’s nothing quite like sinking into a warm bubble bath to help you relax and take your cares away. Add some essential oils such as lavender, chamomile or rose and you will start to feel relaxed and content. This is such a simple easy tip you can do every day.

17. Enjoy a spa weekend

If you are looking to indulge and relax then think about booking a spa day.

Spa days are designed to offer you the most relaxing and indulgent experience.

Whether you go alone or with someone else, spending a few hours in the relaxing environment of a spa will do wonders for your emotional, physical and mental well-being.

18. Take some me time

Are you the sort of person who spends their day running around after everyone else? Holding down a job and running a household as well? Having this sort of lifestyle can be immensely stressful and can begin to cause health issues if you continue to put everyone and everything else first.

It doesn’t need to be the whole day, even a few hours doing something for you that you love and relaxes you will be beneficial for your overall well-being.

19. Create a gratitude list

Creating a gratitude list will give you a fabulous happiness boost. When you write down everything you are grateful for, you will not only be amazed at how many things you can add to your list, you become aware of how much you have in your life already.

So much of life these days is about wanting more. Social media and advertisers constantly sell the idea that to be happy you need a perfect life and material goods.

This in turn can make you discontented with your life and depressed.

Focusing on what you already have makes you appreciate your current situation, helping you to become happier and more content.

20. Take up a new hobby

Start a new hobby if you want to Inject some happiness and excitement into your life. There’s something about starting a new project that can fill you with excitement and optimism. It can be a great way to meet new people and improve your social life.

21. Learn a new language

Learning a new language is an excellent way to really improve your cognitive skills.

Studies have shown learning a new language is a great way to boost your confidence and raise your levels of self-esteem which can improve your mental and physical well-being.

Learning a new language can help with stress and anxiety as well thereby helping your mental and physical well-being.

Final Thoughts

If you are searching for some easy activities for well-being for boosting your health fast then start adopting some of the above tips into your daily routine.

Even adding a couple of new exercises into your day can make a huge difference overall to your physical and mental well-being.

When you start to incorporate activities such as exercise, socialising, puzzles and gratitude into your daily routine for example, you will be boosting your mental and physical well-being which will make a huge overall difference to your life.

You will have more energy, and enthusiasm and will be better equipped to deal with anything life throws at you.

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21 Easy Activities For Well Being For Boosting Health Fast