The 5 Ways to Wellbeing is a campaign to raise awareness about simple strategies everyone can adopt for improving our overall mental health. Over the next few months, Helping You Sparkle™ is working alongside the Public Health team at Milton Keynes Council, focusing on and promoting the benefits of each of the following topics:
- Connect
- Be active
- Take notice
- Keep learning, and
- Give
For the month of December, we’re focusing on give. What does “giving” mean to you?
Here’s some thoughts.
Giving is often associated with offering something which costs money, and at this time of year (December) we may associate giving with Christmas, presents and material things. Giving may be seen as if it should have value, but it doesn’t mean it’s given with hard-earned cash. It might be that you give your time to someone who is lonely, perhaps calling on a neighbour who doesn’t get out much, or you provide information about services available locally to those in need.
Ways to Give:
- Show your appreciation to someone for a job well done – give ‘thanks’ and remind them of the valuable contribution they have made either at work or at home.
- Spend time in your community and give your time to a project or an organisation which helps people who are starting again. There are a number of ways to get involved locally including volunteering.
- Show acts of kindness: smile at someone you meet or ask a friend how they’re doing and if they need anything.
Links to find out about giving (as shown on the MK 5 Ways to Wellbeing Website)
- NHS Choices – give for mental wellbeing
- Mental Health Foundation – benefits of altruism
- Mental Health Foundation – Doing good does you good: A pocket guide to helping others.
There are also a number of free resources on this website given with our compliments and in the members area when you subscribe – click here for details.
You can also visit the 5 Ways to Wellbeing on the Milton Keynes website.
Helping You Sparkle™ 