It's World Wellbeing Week (22nd - 28th June) and there couldn't be a better time to focus on well-being. Good mental health is as essential as good physical health and the Mental Health Foundation has suggested five simple ideas to try. Boost your mood and promote good mental health for young and old with these few easy steps!

Make Connections

It's important to connect, whether with family and friends over Zoom, or colleagues and neighbours. Building connections support and enrich everyone's day, so make time to call granny or chat to a neighbour in their front garden. Can't meet up in person just yet? Encourage the kids to join online clubs or group chats with their mates, while you arrange a Friday-night quiz with yours.

Get Active

Regular physical activity promotes a greater sense of well-being and lower depression and anxiety rates across all ages. It doesn't matter what you do, just get moving! Go for a walk, run, dance, do some gardening, even hoovering counts! Exercise is also a great way to deal with negative feelings. So, if the kids need a mood boost, plan a long family walk to get them moving followed by a picnic reward afterwards.

Take Notice

Slow down, savour the moment and encourage your family to do the same. Try be more aware of the world around you and how you're feeling. If you have young children, take them on a nature walk, get them to stop and notice the smells, sights and sounds of the changing seasons. These simple mindfulness exercises will help too, or for older children, this three-minute exercise.

Uplifting scents also have a positive impact on well-being, so fill your home with the calming scents of fresh linen sheets or soothing lavender and make sure you pause to enjoy them.

Keep Learning

Try something new or discover an old interest. Sign up for that course, fix a bike, learn to play an instrument, or teach the kids how to make a meal. Learning new things is fun and helps improve confidence.

Why not set everyone in the family a challenge to learn one new thing each week? Then end the week with an award ceremony and a prize for the winner!

Give

Looking outwards as well as inwards is great for your mental health and can be incredibly rewarding. Did you know people who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy? So, do something nice for a friend, organise a local litter pick or arrange a collection for the nearest food bank (check out Volunteering Matters for plenty of ideas).

Encourage the rest of the family to think about what they can do too. Also, simple positive actions such as thanking the postman or delivery driver will boost your mood and theirs.

Even the smallest acts of kindness go a long way.

Visit the Mental Health Foundation's website for more information about mental health and its 5 ways to well-being.

Looking for a way to give? For every purchase from our new Home Collection, we're donating to our healthcare heroes. Discover our Home collection here.