Five ways to good mental wellbeing

Feeling anxious or stressed? Experiencing low mood or depression? Having trouble sleeping? There’s a lot going on in the world at the moment that could be affecting your mental health.

The five steps below were developed by the New Economics Foundation more than a decade ago and are recommended by the NHS, Mind and other mental health organisations as a way to start feeling more positive and boosting your wellbeing. It only takes a few minutes to read through them and think about how you could incorporate these simple actions in your daily life.

If you live in London and need support for your wellbeing, Good Thinking provides a range of free apps, ‘how to’ guides and other online tools. We’ve included links to some of our resources at the end of this article, including ‘Five ways to good mental wellbeing’ advice for young people and for Londoners of different faiths.

1. Connect with other people

Having good relationships with your family, friends and colleagues is important as it can:

Improve your feelings of belonging and self-worth
Give you the chance to share positive activities and experiences
Provide emotional support for you and allow you to support others

There are lots of things you can do to stay connected and build stronger relationships (either in person or remotely), such as:

Spend time together as a family every day (e.g. over dinner)
Go for lunch with a friend
Call someone to find out how they are or send them a text message
Travel home from work with a colleague
Make the most of video chat apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp

2. Be physically active

Being active and exercising regularly is important for your physical health but it can also improve your mental health by:

Boosting your self-esteem
Reducing depression, anxiety and stress
Lowering your risk of long-term health conditions, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers
Helping you to set goals for yourself and achieve them
Causing chemical changes in your brain that can have a positive impact on your mood

It is recommended that adults should try to be active every day and do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week. This might include:

Slower-paced activities, such as walking around your home or garden
10-minute workouts on the NHS website
A walk, bike ride or outdoor game with your kids
Using YouTube or a fitness app to exercise at home
Easy, low-impact exercise whenever you can (e.g. stretches while the kettle boils)
Getting off the bus or tube one stop early and walking to work

If you are living with a long-term condition, check out We Are Undefeatable's advice on getting active.

3. Learn new skills

Learning something new can be good for your mental wellbeing as it:

Raises your self-esteem and self-confidence
Helps you to gain a sense of purpose
Connects you with other people
Reduces low mood and depression

There are lots of ways to bring learning into your life. For example, you could:

Sign up for an online course (e.g. at your local college or through FutureLearn)
Read some books (and perhaps set up a book club with your friends)
Rediscover an old hobby or try a new one
Cook or bake something you’ve not made before
Work on a DIY project (there are lots of free video tutorials online)
Visit YouTube or Instagram to learn a dance routine or some art and craft techniques

4. Give to others

Acts of giving and kindness are known to help improve mental wellbeing by:

Creating positive feelings
Providing a sense of reward
Giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth
Helping you to meet other people

Those who have a greater interest in helping others are more likely to consider themselves happy. You could try:

Saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you
Doing some shopping for an elderly neighbour
Asking people how they are and really listening to their answer
Spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company
Listening to our podcast about making positive changes where you live
Volunteering in your local community (e.g. for a charity)

5. Pay attention to the present moment

Being in the moment and being aware of your thoughts, your feelings, your body and the world around you can improve your mental health. Often called ‘mindfulness’, this can help you to understand yourself better, change the way you approach challenges and enjoy life more.

To get you started, you could:

Listen to Good Thinking's podcast about mindfulness
Read the Centre for Clinical Interventions Mindfulness Workbook
Learn mindfulness techniques you can use in your daily life – check out the Be Mindful online course that is free for Good Thinking users