Wellbeing

High educational standards and pupil wellbeing go hand in hand. Children succeed best when they are healthy, self-confident and well-motivated. Extending the range of services that schools can offer is crucial to making sure children and families are given the support they need to thrive.

Life is full of ups and downs, so the BBC has created Headroom www.bbc.co.uk/headroom/ a campaign to help you cope with the everyday stresses and strains of life and provide a safe place to start finding answers to more complex problems.

How do you feel?

Make the most of the Headroom website to explore how you feel. Check into MoodSpa and find out how your lifestyle could be affecting your wellbeing. You can also express yourself with easy-to-make animations using MoodScape. Get started on your very own Moodscape now.

We should all try to do five things, every day, that promote happiness, including:

1. Connect with others

Human beings are social animals, and making links with other people is vital to mental health. This means we should all try to make time to maintain and develop our relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.

2. Be active

There is a close relationship between physical health and mental health. Keeping fit can improve our mental wellbeing too. Sports, hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just a daily stroll will keep us fit and stimulate our minds.

3. Take notice of our surroundings

There is growing evidence that a mindful engagement with the world - being actively aware of our surroundings - is important for mental health. We can try to make sure that we notice the things around us; the examples of beauty or significance in all sorts of settings, whether walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends.

4. Learn

It's very important to keep our minds active and growing. We don't all have to enrol with the Open University (although, it's a very good idea). Fixing a bike, learning a musical instrument, or cooking something different can give a sense of satisfaction and confidence. We can learn something new every day - even if it's just Googling something we heard on the radio.

5. Give to our neighbours and communities

It might seem odd to say that giving to other people is good for your own mental health - but that's what the science tells us. People who give their time and energy to other people seem to have higher levels of wellbeing and happiness. This doesn't mean giving money. It's probably better and more rewarding to get involved in projects which need your time and mental energy.

Sunday, 01 August 2010

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