Wellbeing

Week 4 Indoor Play

Mental Health Month

This week is the final week of Mental Health Month, and our final focus areas of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing.  As we conclude our Mental Health Month we consider how we can Take notice, appreciate and Give to help improve and maintain our mental wellbeing. 

‘Taking Notice’ is about paying attention (on purpose) to what is going on around you and how you feel, in the present moment.

It is sometimes hard to see how just ‘Taking Notice’ can help us feel happier and healthier, but taking time to focus on the here and now can help us:

• Enjoy life and appreciate what we have
• Understand ourselves better
• Stay calm
• Cope with stress and worries

It can be difficult to ‘Take Notice’ when your brain is busy, or if you are distracted with worries, so sometimes we might need to calm ourselves by practicing mindfulness.

Practicing mindfulness, can help us notice and accept our current thoughts and feelings, whilst staying in the present moment.  Mindfulness practice helps us to train our brain to get better at relaxing. Perhaps you might like to download the Smiling Mind App and practice mindfulness yourself, as a family, or support your child to engage in daily mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness can also be as simple as a daily conversation where you notice and reflect.  Perhaps you might like to Spend time being G.L.A.D. As a family

Spend five minutes either writing or thinking of what made you G.L.A.D. today:

G: Something you were Grateful for

L: Something you Learned

A: One small Accomplishment you achieved

D: Something that brought you Delight

Try and recall what made you G.L.A.D. each day, and see how it makes you feel.

Finally we also consider the impact that "Giving" has on our mental health and wellbeing.

When we give to others, it activates the areas of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. Giving to others releases endorphins in our brains and boosts happiness for us as well as the people we help. 

Scientific studies show that helping others boosts happiness. It increases life satisfaction, provides a sense of meaning, increases feelings of competence, improves our mood and reduced stress. It can help to take our minds off our own troubles too!

We hope that our focus on learning about the 5 Ways to Wellbeing has helped you, your child and you family consider the ways in which you can improve and maintain your mental wellbeing with this evidence based approach.  For more information please see 5 Ways To Wellbeing - Five Ways To Wellbeing Australia | Home

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