I was recently introduced to the concept of “The Five Ways to Wellbeing.” The Five Ways succinctly summarizes the actions people can take towards positively affecting their wellbeing and improving their “mental capital.”
Connect
Be Active
Take Notice
Keep Learning
Give
Essentially, they encourage people to:
> Connect and engage with people – and I would also argue to engage with the world around you, not just the human inhabitants, but also the landscape and its furry and photosynthesizing friends who live in it;
> Be active by moving your body – and I would also suggest “exercising” your mind;
> Take notice of what’s going on in the world – be curious, be in awe, be in the moment;
> Keep learning, whatever your age, ability, or interests;
> Give to others, whether it’s volunteering your time, supporting a friend, or simply offering a smile or a compliment to someone.
Considering how wordy and verbose I am, you can imagine my delight when I came across these! As a therapeutic horticulture practitioner, I’m in the business of promoting wellbeing for people through directed experiences with plants and nature. When reflecting on these basic guidelines, I see how they already are an integral part of my programs, and now I have the simple words to summarize it.
The Five Ways were developed by the new economics foundation, as a user-friendly tool for condensing and communicating the overall message from the research presented in the 2008 UK publication from the Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing. Check out the nef’s website on The Five Ways to Wellbeing to read more.