Self Care

Managing Your Mental Health during COVID Crisis

How your mental health might be affected The spread of coronavirus is a new and challenging event. Some people might find it more worrying than others. Try to remember that medical, scientific and public health experts are working hard to contain the virus. Most...

Managing Your Personal Boundaries

Managing Your Personal Boundaries Let’s start with an experiment: If I shrink all the spaces between letters, words and lines, can you make sense of the following text? Ifyourmainparachuteismalfunctioningorhasbecometangleditsimportantthatyou...

Outdoor gyms: you have seen them, but have you ever used them?

Outdoor gyms: you have seen them, but have you ever used them? If not, why not??? Free outdoor gyms provide access to fitness equipment for people who can’t afford gym fees. They are easily accessible in communal areas in local towns and villages across...

5 FOR 5: 5 Benefits of taking a Winter Swim and 5 places to take the plunge in West Cork.

5 FOR 5: 5 Benefits of taking a Winter Swim and 5 places to take the plunge in West Cork. It may be cold outside but that's no excuse to stay indoors. There are plenty of health benefits to go for a winter walk or swim for that matter. And where else is...

Take Notice of Beara

It is easy to rush through daily life without stopping to take notice. Paying attention to the present moment – to our own thoughts, feelings and to the world around you can improve your wellbeing. For now, Take Notice of the wonderful locality of Beara....

Recognising and Managing Stress

Recognising and managing stress by Dr. Aoife Dwyer Stress is our psychological and physiological response when our demands go beyond our coping resources. When we perceive things as threatening, we are left with a feeling of strain or pressure and this can...

Tips on looking after your mental health and recovery journey

Tips on looking after your mental health and recovery journey Whatever programme of care you have decided on, you are the expert on how you feel. It’s good to think about how you cope on a day-to-day basis and how you may be able to avoid problems. You...

Tips to help you develop a regular sleeping pattern

Tips to help you develop a regular sleeping pattern. Timing: Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Be active: Get regular exercise but try to avoid exercise in the hour before bed time. Avoid stimulants: Avoid caffeinated drinks (tea and coffee),...

Some tips for staying well at work!

Some tips for staying well at work! Reclaim your lunch break Why not make the most of your breaks and allocate time away from your workspace. Get outside, make the most of fresh air and invite some colleagues to come along with you. Get some light...

Subscribe to The Wellbeing Network - West Cork

Subscribe now to get free resources from The Wellbeing Network, and stay informed about updates, events and information. By signing up, you are opting in to emails from The Wellbeing Network. We will send you useful information about our work - we promise not to bombard you with mails, we always keep your details private, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

The Wellbeing Network, West Cork
Contact:
National Learning Network Bantry t: 027 51027 e: wellbeingnetwork@nln.ie
Kevin O'Shanahan t: 086 7872481 e: kevin.oshanahan@hse.ie

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.