This advice is very age appropriate for our children.

CONNECT - This is about spending time with people, building in time for relationships and connection to others and sharing experiences, both every day and special. It could be something as simple as children talking to their family or arranging a day out with a friend. 

TRY SOMETHING NEW- KEEP LEARNING - Young people get a great sense of achievement when they have the chance to acquire new skills. Children who engage regularly in learning that is not school work, such as reading for fun, report better levels of wellbeing than those who don’t. 

EXERCISE- Exercise is about being active, not (necessarily) about going to the gym! Walking the dog, taking the stairs instead of a lift or escalator, going for a cycle ride with a friend are all good ways of being active. Children and young people who do regular exercise have higher levels of mental wellbeing than those who don’t. 

APPRECIATE- Taking the time to stop and notice things in our environment is surprisingly good for our wellbeing. Children and young people who notice and enjoy their surroundings on most days are significantly less likely to have low levels of wellbeing – of all the Five Ways, this seems to have the greatest impact. Practicing mindfulness can also be a positive way to take notice and appreciate simple things.

GIVE TO OTHERS - Giving is really about kindness, not just money or material things. Children who have opportunities to learn things for fun have higher levels of wellbeing than those who don’t. So, for younger children, in whom “creativity, play and imagination” were shown to promote wellbeing, it can be good to offer activities that include “giving” in a broad sense.