15 Feb Feel Good Feb – Ways to Wellbeing 💜
Self-care relates to anything we deliberately do to make ourselves feel good and these can be small or big actions. It’s all about putting yourself first physically, mentally, and emotionally. Introducing small actions into your everyday can really help your wellbeing and improve your mood.
Sleep 💤
Sleep is essential! It powers the mind, restores the body and supports every system in our bodies. The National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. It’s important to reflect on your individual needs based on factors like your activity level and overall health.
- Choose quality and comfortable bedding
- Find your ideal sleeping temperature
- Set a fixed wake-up time
- Be careful with naps
- Wind down for at least 30 minutes
- Avoiding bright light can help you transition to bedtime
- Disconnect from devices
- Monitor your caffeine intake
Diet 🍴
Eating well is beneficial for both body and mind!
- Check out the NHS Eat Well Information
- Eat plenty of fruit and veg everyday (at least 5 portions)
- Base meals on higher fibre startchy foods like potatoes, rice or pasta
- Eat beans, pulses, fish, eggs and high protein foods
- Chose unsaturated oils and spreads
- Drink plenty of water (at least 6 to 8 glasses a day)
Exercise 🧘
150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week are the recommended guidelines, with some form of physical activity every day.
- Join our weekly yoga classes
- Take the stairs instead
- Go for a brisk walk every day
- Bodyweight exercises such as squats and burpees
- Youtube and Insta have lots of content you can follow
- Skipping (with or without a rope)
Talk 💬
There is a word that captures how talking helps—catharsis which means a feeling of relief.
Talking about your feelings isn’t a sign of weakness. Talking can be a way to cope with a problem you’ve been keeping in your head. Just being listening to can help you feel supported and less alone. You may even encourage others to open-up and do the same.
- Find a method of communication that feels comfortable
- Find a suitable time and place
- Practice what you want to say
- Be honest about how your feelings are affecting your life
- Suggest things that might help
- Start slowly and don’t put too much pressure on one conversation
- Be kind to yourself
Mindfulness 💜
Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware of where we are and what we’re doing. Becoming more aware of the moment can help us enjoy the world around us and better understand ourselves.
- Notice the everyday
- Try something new
- Free yourself from the past and future
- Meditate
Connecting 👋
Good relationships are important for your wellbeing. They can help you build a sense of belonging and self-worth; give you an opportunity to share positive experiences; provide emotional support and allow you to support others.
- Our virtual events are a great way to interact with your fellow residents and get to know new people. Lots of attendees have mentioned their enjoyment of getting together each week for a night of laughs!
- Reach out to others! Drop a friend a message to check-in with them or a simple hello to someone new or one of our team members.
- Get together in your flats. Why not cook a meal together or host a Come Dine With Me evening and put your culinary skills to the test? You could dedicate a Sunday afternoon to studying or doing self-care. Face masks anyone? Put on your favourite tunes and have a boogie in that kitchen, that’ll release some happy hormones.
- If you’re in a studio apartment then jump on FaceTime with friends to have a virtual dinner, join our virtual events and get out of the building to get fresh air and a change of scenery each day.
Tools 📲
To keep up on good habits feel like a game, try Habitica.
For gentle reminders to practice self-care throughout the day, try Aloe Bud.
To help shutting up your brain so you can fall asleep, try Pzizz.
For an extremely accessible introduction to meditation, try Headspace.
To sleep more, stress less and live better, try Calm.
For brain training, try Elevate.
To reduce headaches, strain on your eyes, and help you sleep better at night, try Flux which alters the colour of your computer display.
For free, safe and anonymous support, try Kooth.
For mental health awareness and challenging the way we think about it try Time to Change.
For advice and mental health support try Young Minds.
Make use of WhatsApp, Facetime, Zoom, your socials to keep up with friends and family. Engage with fellow residents and your friendly property teams on your exclusive closed residents’ group.
