Scottish Association of Mental Health (SAMH) are promoting “5 ways to better wellbeing” to help everyone take better care of their mental wellbeing and our projects can help you to boost your mood too.
1. Connect with more people
Keeping in contact with your neighbours, family and friends can help make you feel more secure and happy. Even a quick chat with someone can help lift your mood. Mark Twain’s quote: “The best way to cheer yourself up, is to cheer somebody else up.” is a useful reminder that having the time to talk with someone is time well spent for your mental health.
With over 550 Health Walks across Scotland we offer lots of opportunities to walk and talk with other people. Find your nearest Health Walk on our online map.
2. Be active everyday
Being active is good for your physical health and has a positive effect on your mental health and wellbeing. Health walker, Anne Murray has been walking with the Stirling Walking Network at Stirling Community Hospital for the past two years. During this time, she has had two hip replacements. She told us:
Anne is not an uncommon name, so at first I was known as “Anne two sticks”, then “Anne one stick”, and now “Anne nae sticks!” It is one of the friendliest groups I have ever joined. Not only has my physical health benefited enormously from being part of it, but also my mental and emotional health too. I have made many friends whom I now meet up with outside the Monday slot.
3. Take notice of what is around you
Taking the time to notice what’s going on around you can help to calm your mind and make you feel more positive. Step It Up Highland project coordinator, Lynne Bannister is often uplifted by the comments written on her weekly Health Walk registers. She wrote:
I was just looking through some register returns today whilst inputting their walker figures and was struck by what is noticed on a Health Walk. For example, our Tongue group reported: Lots of sea birds along the way, bluebells in Tongue House driveway and a fantastic colourful spring display.
4. Keep learning new skills
Learning can enhance your self-esteem and confidence and can be a great way to meet new people.
Our free Walking for Health and Community Paths training for volunteers offer practical opportunities to learn new skills such as leading strength and balance exercises or building a boardwalk on a path. David Rae attended our one-day Walk Leader training course and thought:
It builds my leadership skills and forces me to be more sociable and interact better with the group, which has helped me make new friends.
Keep up to date with our training opportunities by checking our website.
5. Give to others
Giving can be very rewarding, even a kind word to someone else can make their day. Those who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy. Trained Walk Leader, Gordon King with Get Walking Lanarkshire enjoys his volunteering role. He finds it:
Hugely rewarding when people have a smile on their face after the Health Walk, having forgotten about their worries for a wee while.
If you are feeling better about yourself as a result of being involved with your Walking for Health, Community Path or Active Travel project please let us know by emailing communications@pathsforall.org.uk. We want more people to know that everyday walking is a free and easy way to feel more happy and healthy.