It’s the final week of our #5W2WChallenge. Thank you so much for taking part and for the continued support. We couldn’t do the work we do without you.
Our last theme is Give. Participation in social and community life has attracted a lot of attention in the field of wellbeing research. Individuals who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy. Research into actions for promoting happiness has shown that committing an act of kindness once a week over a six-week period is associated with an increase in wellbeing.
Even the smallest act of giving or kindness counts, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts of giving or kindness, such as volunteering at your local community centre, or joining a community group can improve your mental wellbeing and help you build new social networks. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you. Giving through volunteering not only helps others, but can help us feel more confident, positive and connected.
Good Luck!
Scarlett Scrivener
Volunteer Co-Ordinator
Hull and East Yorkshire Mind
PS The 5 Ways to Wellbeing Challenge is all about each of us helping our own mental health. However, if you are interested in giving back to your local community, we have lots of volunteering opportunities available at Hull and East Yorkshire Mind, and we are always fundraising to continue our work. If you are interested get in touch on [email protected], call 01482 240200, or use the donate button at the bottom of this email.
