Seven tips to boost your wellbeing

Feel happier and enjoy life more with these seven tips for improving your mental and physical wellbeing through your DofE programme.

1. Connect – connect with people around you: your family and friends. Invest time in developing those relationships as when it comes to our wellbeing, other people matter. Building stronger, wider social connections through your DofE programme can help you feel happier and more secure.

2. Get more sleep – Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing. It allows our bodies to repair themselves and our brains to consolidate our memories and process information. Lack of sleep can seriously magnify feelings of unhappiness or depression and anxiety — so treat your body right and your mind will thank you.

3. Keep learning – learning new skills and bettering yourself can give a sense of confidence and achievement. Through the DofE you can learn to play a musical instrument, develop a new dance style or qualify to be a referee – the options are endless! Mental wellbeing means feeling good – about yourself and the world around you – and learning new and different skills can boost self-confidence and self-esteem.

4. Be active – Find an activity you enjoy and make it part of your life. It doesn’t have to be the gym or a team sport, there are innumerable ways to get active through your DofE Physical section and positively affect your wellbeing. We think that the mind and body are separate, but physical activity can help with mild depression and protect against anxiety.

5. Make a difference – giving to others, even if it’s a small act, can make a difference. Volunteering in the local community as part of your DofE programme can give a sense of purpose and feelings of self-worth, but also help you build new social networks.

6. Get outside – Connecting with nature on your DofE expedition can clear your mind, reduce anxiety, and build confidence: all positively affecting your psychological wellbeing. This not only increases happiness in the long run, but the exercise will makes you feel better physically.

7. Eat healthy – As well as affecting our physical health, what we eat and drink may also affect the way we feel. Improving your diet and hydrating more may help to improve your mood, give you more energy and help you think more you clearly.