Five Ways to Wellbeing

Connect

Feeling connected to other people is at the heart of happiness - theirs and ours.

Whether these connections are with our partners, families, friends, work colleagues, neighbours or others in our communities, they can all contribute to happiness and resilience. So taking action to build, maintain and strengthen our relationships is important.

Having close relationships with family or friends provides love, meaning, support and can increase our feelings of self-worth. Our broader social networks, like those in our local community or at school or work, can contribute to a sense of belonging. Indeed studies show people with strong relationships are happier, healthier and may even live longer.  Having a network of social connections or high levels of social support even appears to increase our immunity to infection, lower our risk of heart disease and reduce mental decline as we get older.

There's lots we can do to build and maintain our relationships and feel more connected to our community.

 

Social Connection at Huddersfield University:

Staff Choir

Staff Book Club

Menopause Talk & Support

Parents Group

Staff Wellbeing Teams Group

 

Social Connection groups outside of work:

Men's Sheds Association - community spaces for men to connect, converse and create. The activities are often similar to those of garden sheds, but for groups of men to enjoy together. They help reduce loneliness and isolation, but most importantly, they’re fun.

Andys Man Club | #ITSOKAYTOTALK | - Andy's Man Club is a UK charitable organisation described as "a talking group, a place for men to come together in a safe environment to talk about issues and problems they have faced or are currently facing". It was formed by Luke Ambler and his mother-in-law Elaine after his brother-in-law Andy, took his own life.

Action for Happiness Local Groups – Local groups offer the chance to meet others near you who care about happiness, learn more about how to live a happy life and take action that makes a meaningful difference.

Kirklees Wellness Walks - Getting outdoors and walking is a great way to improve both your physical and mental health. Walking as part of a group is also a fantastic way to keep motivated and meet new people. The walks are particularly beneficial for people with low fitness levels, low confidence when walking and or those who simply want to enjoy a low level walk in the company of others.

 

Be Active

An extensive body of scientific research is showing the many benefits of exercise for our psychological health and happiness. Exercise and being physically active can help us manage, treat and even prevent depression and anxiety. It can boost our confidence, help us manage stress, and help us sleep and think better too – improving how well our brain functions. It’s not all about running marathons - there are simple things we can all do to be more active each day. Walk, run, dance, swim, cycle, yoga…and it's not just about playing sport – it can be simple things such as gardening or even vacuuming the floor. The list is almost endless and it all can make a difference to how we feel!

 

Increase your activity here at Huddersfield University:

Active Hud - Take a look at the sports, fitness and wellbeing sessions available here on campus and in the kirklees area.

 

Outside of university:

Gym-free exercises - NHS (www.nhs.uk) Take a look at these free exercise videos from the NHS

Kirklees Active Leisure - gyms and leisure centres in the Kirklees area

Kirklees Wellness Service - 'Move More' activity timetable including 'wellness walks' and cycle sessions.

NHS Chair based exercises video 

 

 

Learn

Keep learning new things

Fuel for fun, fulfilment, confidence and creativity!

Being open to new experiences and learning fuels our wellbeing, boosts our confidence and our creativity and can be fulfilling – whatever our age. Learning is not just for school but for life – in fact, evidence shows that continuing to learn, even later in life, can help us feel good and function well. It doesn’t mean gaining more qualifications. There are lots of ways to get involved in informal learning of topics or skills we’re curious or passionate about, whether that’s in-person in our community, at work or online. It could be learning more about an area we’re already interested in, honing our skills through a hobby or exploring something completely new. There is always something new we can try or learn!

 

Learning Opportunities at Huddersfield University:

Digital Skills Training at the University

University Events - there are many lectures and talks held at the university - find out what's on via the events page.

Heritage Quay - the universities Archive Service is available for anyone to visit. Why not pop down to the Schwann building to find out more about the historic documents and exhibitions they hold.

People and Organisational Development- visit their webpages to see their range of training courses, workshops and e-learning. 

 

In the local community:

Kirklees Libraries - local libraries often run workshops, groups or talks that provide many different learning opportunities. Click the link to find out what's on at the libraries in Kirklees. 

Kirklees Recovery College Courses - The Recovery & Wellbeing College run a range of workshops and courses which promote wellbeing and good mental health. The workshops are aimed at adults who want to improve their own wellbeing and/or the health and wellbeing of someone they care for or support. They focus on learning, building people’s skills and knowledge.

Take Notice

Live life mindfully

Ever felt there must be more to life? Well good news - there can be - as long as we learn to be more mindful and aware.

Being mindful can be a firm foundation for wellbeing. Studies show the practice of mindfulness can reduce stress levels, help us manage our emotions and reactions, tune in better to how we and others are feeling and cultivate compassion for ourselves and others.  This helps us make wiser choices, can boost our relationships and mean we feel happier and calmer. It can have benefits in school and in the workplace too.

Individually, we vary in our natural levels of mindfulness, but everyone can learn to be more mindful and there are lots of ways we can incorporate it into our daily lives. It's simple but takes practice. Think of it as training for your brain! 

 

What is mindfulness?

You can read more about mindfulness and how to do it on the Action for Happiness website here - Awareness | Action for Happiness

 

Mindfulness resources locally:

Huddersfield Vajrapani Kadampa Meditation Centre - provides a peaceful space where you can discover the benefits of meditation, and the peace that modern Buddhism can offer. There are weekly drop-in meditation classes at the Centre and in Denby Dale, and weekend courses to suit everyone, whether you are completely new to meditation or have more experience.

 

Growing Works - do mindfulness in nature at their allotment on Wakefield Road (not sure if they could come to you and do something you would need to ask). 

 

 

Mindfulness resources online:

The Kindfulness Effect - Meditation - Weekly yoga, meditation & mindful movement classes online. Meditation & mindful movement are free/donation based. 

Breathing exercises- this article from the magazine 'happiful' shares three great mindful breathing exercises to reduce anxiety. 

Mindful Breathing Exercise - A mindful breathing exercise video from the NHS campaign 'Better Health, Every Mind Matters'.

How and where to learn mindfulness - Mind - this information page from the charity 'Mind' gives lots of great information about what to expect from a mindfulness course and how to find a suitable/qualified teacher. 

Online Mindfulness for Stress courses | Breathworks (breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk) - Breathworks help those in pain take back their lives with mindfulness.

Give

Action for Happiness – doing things for others

10 Benefits of Helping Others

How Helping Others Can Increase Happiness

Further Resources

Staff Wellbeing Confidential Support

MyMindPal

Hub of Hope - Mental Health Support Network provided by Chasing the Stigma

NHS Every Mind matters Quiz

Kirklees IAPT | Helping you to improve your wellbeing

Free, 24/7 mental health text support in the UK | Shout 85258 (giveusashout.org)

Stop smoking Advice and Support - NHS

Alcohol support - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Healthy body - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

People and Organisational Development Sessions

Home - Jo Fisher Hypnotherapy