World wellbeing week 2025

World wellbeing week 2025

For 2025 world wellbeing week will be celebrated from 24th – 30th June. The aim of this week is to raise awareness and open conversations around wellbeing and all aspects of this; including the physical, mental, social and health. Workplaces, school and social clubs will celebrate this week in their own way, but the message will be the same. Maintaining our wellbeing is essenital for a healthy life. At times we must priorities our own needs. As a SEN mum and a wife of ADHD, I know all to well how caring for others can drain every ounce of you at times.

How does looking after our wellbeing help us?

In 2023- 2024, there were an estimated 16.4 million working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety. For some this may seem a very large number, but when people work in high stress, high responsibility, professional jobs it is easy to see how an extra load from personal life can tip you over. Looking after family members at home along side other things can put a large amount of pressure on anyone. Not looking after our wellbeing can majorly impact performance both in and out of work, it affects engagement with friends and family and our overall health.

How can we look after our wellbeing?

The ‘5 ways to wellbeing’ is promoted as actions that enhance mental and emotional wellbeing, they can be simple and small things we can do to boost out own wellbeing, and if you’re like me, you will try and drag the family along (kicking and screaming probably).

The 5 ways

Connect – connecting with friends, family, work friends, any social connection. Maintaining social connections is well known for wellbeing, this helps us to talk over situations, share our worries and help others. Not always easy when you have other commitments but, a text or a funny picture to the right person shows you care.

Be active – Now I don’t mean just up and start running down the road. We are all aware of the importance of being active and how this helps our physical health, keeps us moving and helps us feel and sometimes look better. A short walk around the block, dancing in the kitchen or pulling weeds out the garden can make us feel good.

Take notice – Looking at your surroundings and paying attention to the small things, birds, flowers, tress can help reduce stress, by being present in the moment. Time in nature is a big one for me, I love being outside as I find this calming, (more so when everyone is NOT driving me up the wall arguing but you know). This doesn’t have to be a 4 mile walk up a mountain, or a trip to the back end of beyond, this can be looking out of your window or walking the dog.

Keep learning– Now, this is not instruction to start a university course that will take years off you. We learn everyday, I know I do. Learning about other people, or another strategy that may help you as a family (I know you’ve tried them all, just saying), a new hobby, or a new recipe. Participating in new activities or new interests can boost your self-esteem and give you a sense of self (not just Mum or wife).

Give – Doing something out of kindness can have a massive impact on how you feel and the other person. This doesn’t need to be financially giving something. This can be giving your time, expertise or even a shoulder to cry on.

However you choose to look after your wellbeing, make it personal, take time for yourself.