Sligo Family Resource Centre - Wellbeing Network

Most agree that giving to others is a good idea however giving to others has a knock on effect on ourselves by improving the givers mental wellbeing.

Most agree that giving to others is a good idea however giving to others has a knock on effect on ourselves by improving the givers mental wellbeing.
From small acts of kindness to volunteering, giving can give you a sense of purpose, community and connectedness.
Sometimes we think of our wellbeing in terms of what we have; our income, car, home or job. Evidence shows that what we do and the way we think has the biggest impact on mental wellbeing.
Positive mental wellbeing means feeling good about yourself and the world around you and being able to get on with your life.
Helping and supporting others and working with others towards a shared goal is good for our mental wellbeing. A 2003 study in 373 older adults found that some aspect of wellbeing were higher in those who did volunteer projects compared with those who did not.
Scientists have shown that giving to others can stimulate the reward areas in the brain helping to create positive feelings. Helping others also gives a sense of purpose and feelings of self-worth.

Evidence show that good relationships with family, friends, colleagues and the wider community are important for mental wellbeing.

Many of us would like to spend more time with the people who are most important to us but sometimes life just gets in the way of that. We must make time to connect with the people that matter to us. By nurturing these relationships we feel happier and more secure, giving a better sense of purpose.
A 2002 study of 222 students in the US found that the happiest amongst the group had stronger social relationships than those who were less happy.

Some tips to stay connected:

Make time each day to connect with your family, friends and colleagues. This could include ‘family time’ that is a fixed time to connect each day.
Arrange a day out with friends you may not have connected with recently. Most people connect on social media sites like Facebook but a face to face contact spending your time with your friends is so much more meaningful and beneficial than a “like” or “comment” on Facebook.
Reduce your screen time when you are in company. Put the phone away, close your laptop, turn off the TV and have a chat.
Try connecting with someone new today. Talk to the person beside you on the train or in the shop. This conversation may mean even more to the person you connect with than you realise.
Leave your desk for your lunch and sit with a colleague catching up on non-work matters.
It can be as simple as a smile at a passer-by.

Learning new skills is both useful and it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing. Learning means different things to everyone. To some it will be a new qualification and to others it will be learning a new recipe in the kitchen.

Learning new skills is both useful and it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing. Learning means different things to everyone. To some it will be a new qualification and to others it will be learning a new recipe in the kitchen.
Evidence shows that continuing to learn throughout life can help improve and maintain our mental wellbeing.
Mental Wellbeing means feeling good about yourself and the world around you and being able to get on with your life the way you choose.
In 2004 a study interviewed 145 adults about learning throughout life and various aspects of their health and wellbeing. It found that people who involved themselves in more learning reported feeling higher self-esteem, a greater ability to cope with stress, and more feelings of self-confidence, hope and purpose.
Setting goals and working towards them plays an important part in the way learning influences wellbeing. Many forms of learning involve contact with others which connects us to our communities and peers.

It is easy to rush through daily life without stopping to notice much. Paying attention to the present moment – to our own thoughts, feelings and to the world around you can improve your mental wellbeing.

Taking Notice is also called Mindfulness. It is easy to incorporate mindfulness into your life and can be a very powerful tool if learnt and practiced daily.
Mental wellbeing means being feeling good about life and yourself and having the ability to get on with life in the way you want.
Many think about wellbeing in terms of what you have; your income, car, house or job. Evidence shows that what we do and the way we think have the biggest impact on wellbeing.
To Take Notice is to notice the sights, smells, sounds and tastes you experience as well as your thoughts and feelings that occur from one moment to the next.
It’s easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living in our heads. An important part of Taking Notice is to reconnect with our bodies and the sensations they are experiencing. It can be something as simple as the feel of your knife and fork in your hands.
Most of us have issues we find hard to let go of and mindfulness can help us deal with them more productively. Awareness of this kind also helps us notice signs of stress or anxiety earlier and helps us deal with them better.

Being active is great for your physical and mental wellbeing. Evidence proves there is a link between being active physically and good mental wellbeing.

Mental wellbeing means feeling good about yourself, about the world around you and having the ability to get on with life in the way you want.
Being active doesn’t mean you need to train for a marathon. You need to find physical activity that you enjoy and can fit into your daily/ weekly routine. This may be a daily walk to the shops instead of taking the car, a weekly gardening session, some yoga, swimming or a weekend walk.
Scientists confirm physical activity can help maintain wellbeing and good mental health in a number of ways:
Physical activity helps with mild depression. Evidence shows it can protect people against the onset of depression and anxiety.
Physical activity causes a chemical change in the brain which can help change our mood.
Physical activity brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge – all of which help improve wellbeing.

Sligo Family Resource Centre

Improving Health & Wellbeing through Social Prescribing;

Social Prescribing helps adults with social and more practical needs to improve your wellbeing by using your own interests and abilities, therefore it aims to support you to take greater control of your own health. Social Prescribing tackles loneliness and isolation by linking you with local supports and activities within your local area.

It is a free service which can help you to get back on track if you find yourself in a rut!

Social Prescribing helps improve your…

Social Health;
Physical Health;
Emotional Health;
and very importantly your Mental Health & Wellbeing

How does it work;
Either your GP or health professional will refer you to us or indeed the simplest thing would be just to give us a call or drop into the Sligo Family Resource Centre for a chat. Our Social Prescribing Coordinator will have a conversation with you in relation to what you understand your needs to be. Many of us don’t always know what indeed our need may be. We have a range of tools and exercises which we will work through together and we can come up with your own individual well-being plan. We will get you connected with your chosen activity.

Social prescribing allows for you to become a partner in maintaining your own health with the focus on health rather than illness.

For many GPs, a patient may come in with a health problem but the GP can see that if they could just walk out of the surgery into an exercise class, a social group, addiction support or to go to someone about financial or housing advice, they could get so much more than they would by filling a prescription at the nearest chemist. Your GP may make recommendations for local activities, there might even be some leaflets in the waiting room, or posters on the noticeboard. The thing is, if you’re suffering with low self-esteem or motivation or at the lowest ebb in your life, you probably won’t have the organisational skills to research the number or to turn up to a class?

That’s where we come in – as your Social Prescribing Service – we will work with you. We will do the research for you and can make the initial contact with the group for you. If it’s gardening, walking, reading, knitting, it doesn’t matter. It’s just all about the social connection, the actual people bit. It is about connecting the dots between you and the community resources available to you!
Something as simple as going to a knitting group twice a week or joining a Men’s or Hen’s shed, a choir or a walking group, can open up a whole new world for you! Through learning a new skill or participating in a new activity you can improve your quality of life and emotional wellbeing, mental, physical and general wellbeing, and levels of depression and anxiety.

Here in the Sligo Family Resource Centre our Social Prescribing facility provides a wraparound service for all of our community and communities! Please call for a chat about your interests and we can work with you to connect you with a group or activity which best suits your needs!

What clients have said about being part of the project;

“Social Prescribing gave me the push I needed in order to do something for myself – the last thing I would have thought of was to do a workshop or course but I am glad I did”

“I thank you for your service to me. When we first met I was old and frail and today I am bursting with energy. So wake up world to this treasure source that lives, loves and works among you all”

“Social Prescribing is a marvellous idea. The purpose and planning is very good. It is extremely productive and gives you food for thought. I don’t like sitting about waiting for life to kick me around but it gave me the tools I needed and gratefully appreciated”

Centre opening hours: Mon – Fri 9am to 5pm.

Sligo Family Resource Centre,
49 The Mall,
Sligo.

F91 HR58

Loretta McLoughlin

083 403 6985

lorettasfrc@gmail.com

View Our Information Leaflet

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Most agree that giving to others is a good idea however giving to others has a knock on effect on ourselves by improving the givers mental wellbeing.

Evidence show that good relationships with family, friends, colleagues and the wider community are important for mental wellbeing.

Learning new skills is both useful and it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing. Learning means different things to everyone. To some it will be a new qualification and to others it will be learning a new recipe in the kitchen.

It is easy to rush through daily life without stopping to notice much. Paying attention to the present moment – to our own thoughts, feelings and to the world around you can improve your mental wellbeing.

Being active is great for your physical and mental wellbeing. Evidence proves there is a link between being active physically and good mental wellbeing.

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