Health & Wellbeing
The role of our Health & Wellbeing Officer is to raise awareness of this topic and to introduce some practical initiatives to enhance wellbeing within our club and community.
Many factors influence our Health & Wellbeing and the NHS highlights 5 steps that we can take to improve it.
1. Connect - Connect with family and friends but also connect with people in our neighbourhood/community/club and the wider world. Mental Wellbeing means feeling good about ourselves and the world around us, therefore taking time to strengthen and broaden relationships is good for our Wellbeing and good for the Wellbeing of others. There are many ways to implement this within our club/community e.g.
- stop and speak with new club members
- make contact with someone who hasn’t been around the club for a while
- volunteer to help around the club/attend the next club function.
2. Get Active - What we do with our body can have a powerful effect on our Mental Wellbeing. We can get active by finding physical activities that we enjoy and can participate in on a regular basis. Lots of our young people participate in the sporting activities within the club, and there are many others within our club who walk, cycle, dance, swim etc. The club has excellent indoor and outdoor facilities available to all, so come along and check them out.
3. Give - Small acts of kindness towards other people can make us feel happier and more satisfied with life. Helping others and working with them can also give us a sense of purpose and build feelings of self-worth. Volunteering to do something for our local school, our local charity shop or our club are examples of larger acts of kindness which, by working with others towards a shared goal, are good for our Health and Wellbeing.
4. Learning - Learning new skills can have a positive effect on our Health and Wellbeing. Learning can boost self-confidence, self-esteem and help us to connect with others.
5. Awareness - Awareness with regard to Health and Wellbeing is often referred to as “Mindfulness”. There is a significant body of evidence to demonstrate that what we do, and the way we think and act have a much greater impact on our Wellbeing than material goods. Mindfulness can help us to understand ourselves better and to be more aware of the world around us.
"An important part of mindfulness is reconnecting with our bodies and the sensations they experience. This means waking up to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment.....Awareness of this kind doesn't start by trying to change or fix anything. It's about allowing ourselves to see the present moment clearly. When we do that, it can positively change the way we see ourselves and our lives." (Dr Mark Williams, 2014)
As the year progresses I hope to organise talks and instigate activities which I hope will go some way to enhance Health and Wellbeing within our club and community.
My role also involves signposting people to the many specialist organisations that offer help and assistance, and any requests for help/information will be treated with confidentially.
Julie Nelson (Health and Wellbeing Officer)
Phone: 07799718716
Useful Numbers
Lifeline – Phone: 0808 808 8000 (crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress or despair)
Samaritans – Phone: 116123 (free) (available 24 hours a day to provide confidential emotional support for people experiencing distress, despair or suicidal thoughts)
Cruse – Phone: 028 2766 6686 (to support those who have been bereaved)