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Our latest blog talks about the importance of the little things. You don't lose weight after eating one salad, well you know the rest... https://lnkd.in/gKD_T-N5

Know your people ... build their skills so they never need support, but if they do, do it the right way

📌 NEW blog post: social fitness - the number one key to a happy life... Did you know that: 🔴 Loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 26 percent 🔴 Lacking social connection can increase the risk of premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day 🔴 Having poor social connections is linked to a 29 percent increased risk of heart disease and a 32 percent increased risk of stroke 🔴 Chronic loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of developing dementia by approximately 50 percent in older adults 🔴 Loneliness and low social support are also associated with an increased risk of self-harm and suicide So, it makes sense that the opposite of loneliness (social connection and support) is good for us and makes us happier. Research confirms this too is true. The most consistent finding over 85 years of study is that positive relationships keep us healthier, happier, and live longer. Close relationships are what make people happy, more than money, fame, or exercise. So what kinds of social support do we need? And how can we strengthen our relationships and our sense of connection and happiness? Read our full article to find out - link in comments 🔗 #SocialConnection #Loneliness #SocialSupport

💡 This week's dose of #MondayMotivation: three quick tips to re-boot and strengthen #Resilience 💪 1️⃣ Tuning into the good Slow down, look around and notice what is going well today. Carefully choosing where you put your attention is a really effective counterbalance to the negative bias of apprehension and anxiety. We must ensure we don’t ignore the moments of happiness and goodness that happen - accepting a compliment from someone, being kind to a stranger, spending precious time with a friend, etc. Our sense of wellbeing also grows when we tune into the good. Why? Because it fuels self-esteem and derails our inner critic that is responsible for giving us a negative news feed of its own, telling you that you’re not clever, attractive, nor good enough. Tuning into the good changes the filter that we often unwittingly have turned on, from unhelpful and negative, to helpful and beneficial. 2️⃣ Asking yourself “Is this helping or harming me?” Unfortunately, and especially when the world is struggling and we feel worried, anxious, or depressed, we often think and act in ways that make things worse. If we think we’re not good enough, we behave like we’re not, perhaps by not taking care of our health or appearance. If we are worried about finances, we might avoid getting to grips with them to avoid the feeling and fear of not having enough, instead of making a plan and seeking help. Asking this question gives you some power and choice to change and address what you can in the best way that you can. 3️⃣ Accepting that life is tough at times We should accept that suffering is part of living, that adversity is common and tough things will happen to all of us, and that this is the common humanity we share with every other person on the planet. So it’s not a severe shock when stress or bad times come along and we don’t feel it’s just us and ask ourselves “why me?”. In fact, compassion is born from suffering and through these crises, people will help each other. Yes, it’s difficult and tough, but we can and will cope, we will have good times still, and we will learn something of value and be wiser through this 🦉

📌NEW blog post: You do not need to be alone to feel lonely. You should never attempt to invalidate your feelings of loneliness just because you are not physically alone. You may have a wide circle of friends, work in a bustling office, live with multiple family members, and STILL experience loneliness. Recently described as a public health emergency, loneliness affects around 1 in 3 Brits (~25 million), while 7.1% of UK adults (~4 million) currently experience ‘chronic loneliness’, up from 6% in 2020 (Campaign to End Loneliness, 2023). Loneliness causes a range of mental, physical and emotional health problems: 🔴 60% of people suffering from chronic loneliness experience mental distress (Gov UK, 2023) 🔴 Loneliness can elevate blood pressure and induce acute stress (Brown, Gallagher and Creaven, 2018) 🔴 Loneliness can result in ‘poorer sleep quality’ in the young adult population (Matthews et al., 2017) In our latest blog piece, we explore the ways you can deal with your loneliness, from practising self-compassion to treasuring solo experiences. To read the full article, follow the link in the comments 🔗 #WellbeingWednesday #LonelinessEpidemic #PublicHealth

📣 Today marks #TimeToTalk Day, run by Mind. In this quick video, our psychological therapist Caroline Outterside explains how talking to others helps manage how you feel. Something in our culture, perhaps to do with the British stiff upper lip, makes us reluctant to talk openly, be embarrassed to share, or think that we would be a burden if we did. This is the stigma that gets in the way of our wellbeing. Neuroscience confirms that when we put our feelings into words, we process them more objectively and reduce their emotional intensity. So let's all today take the time to talk 🗣 #MentalWellbeing #ConversationsThatMatter

💡 We're back with some more #MondayMotivation: 4 tips to create healthier habits 🩺 1️⃣ Set small, specific and regular SMART goals. Instead of saying “run more often” say “compete in a local half marathon this Spring” and instead of “run twice a week” say “Run 5K twice a week by April” 🏃♀️ 2️⃣ Use a diary or planner to help track progress and keep within your time frame 📔 3️⃣ Tell family and friends what you plan and gain their support 👨👩👧👦 4️⃣ Habits are triggered by events. Eating junk food can be triggered by watching TV, so combine new good habits with particular triggers, e.g., drink a whole glass of water every time you brush your teeth, or chew sugar free gum when watching TV 📺 Human behaviours are guided by how confident we feel in our abilities, so when we feel low in self-confidence it can impair life quality. Distorted decision-making, imposter syndrome and significant symptoms of anxiety and depression are all associated with low confidence. When you are confident, you believe you are valuable, worthwhile and capable, and achievement follows. By choosing a path that’s guided by your key values with confidence, and applying smart and sound goal setting, you can succeed in creating new healthy habits. #SMARTGoals #HealthyHabits