The ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ has been around for a while, but I think it is a really useful way to reflect and act upon our self care at this time. Many of us are feeling exhausted and frustrated by the lockdown (at the time of writing, we are currently in week 7) and self care can end up falling by the wayside. Mental health charity, The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust have released Primary and Secondary school packs for their Wellbeing Challenge 2020 ( https://www.cwmt.org.uk/wellbeing-challenge ). The packs have fun activities and suggestions for each of the 5 ways that you can do individually or together. As children won’t be able to do this in school, this is a great opportunity to do it as a family and focus on your collective wellbeing.

1. Connect: This is more important than ever and it doesn’t just have to be calling or Facetiming your friends. You could send a postcard or picture as ‘happy mail’, help a younger sibling with something, or make a playlist of your favourite songs to share with others.
2. Be active: We all know exercise is good for us, but it can also be fun! CWMT suggest indoor and outdoor obstacle courses, stair climb challenges and dancing!
3. Keep learning:  If you’re getting fed up of homeschooling, we can make learning fun by making up Limericks, doing wordsearches, writing a family quiz or designing your own boardgame.
4. Give: We are seeing lots of acts of kindness at the moment and this is something to encourage in your family. From clapping for key workers on Thursdays to giving a compliment to someone in your house, there are lots of ways to be kind.
5. Take notice: On your daily walk, take notice of the sounds and sights around you. You can also enjoy colouring in and making shapes out of the clouds. Pause and take a moment to see what is in front of you.

For more information and ideas on the Five Ways to Wellbeing for adults, visit

https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/taking-care-of-yourself/five-ways-to-wellbeing/

For more information or questions about this topic or any others mentioned, please get in touch.