5 tips for improving your wellbeing in 2023

As part of our updated blu Monday campaign , where we zero in on the wellbeing of the UK’s over 25s to understand how Blue Monday and the winter months affect our mood, our team has put our heads together to come up with the self-care tactics that work for us.

Remember, everyone is different, and so different methods will work for everyone, but we hope you can find something on this list that resonates with you.

If you struggle to make time for self-care, try thinking of it as system maintenance instead. If you can make time to update your phone or computer, you can make time to look after yourself. If you don’t, much like your computer, you might find you are not functioning as well as you could.

Here are our top five wellbeing tips and activities.

How to improve wellbeing

1. Getting outside (ideally during daylight)

We know – daylight is a hard-to-come-by commodity during winter, so we don’t blame you if you often only see the night’s sky from December through to February. However, with evidence to show that the brain’s levels of serotonin are directly affected by exposure to daylight, you may want to try and schedule a walk during your lunch hour from now on, to give yourself the best chance of feeling good.

The most important thing though is to simply get outside and spend time in nature. Just 20 minutes in nature has been shown to improve mental and physical health, with benefits including boosting your mood, lowering your blood pressure, reducing stress and slowing your heart rate.

Wherever and whenever you can, we would always recommend it. It can feel very hard to get out the door when the weather isn’t great, but once you are out there you will appreciate it – we promise!

You could even just pop out in regular slots throughout the day, if 20 minutes seems too daunting all in one go. This would also have the advantage of breaking up your working day, allowing you to better process and retain information – a win-win!

If you are a vaper you may already be someone who pops out throughout the day. Why not extend one of these trips into a longer walk?

2. Make time to do the things you enjoy

This is something that sounds so simple, yet can feel nigh-on impossible. We are often so focused on using time productively that we forget to simply enjoy ourselves. And sometimes, you might have so many commitments that taking a break to enjoy yourself seems out of the question.

However, making time for what you love – even if it’s only a very small amount of time every day or every week – can really make a difference to your happiness. This could be trying a new hobby or re-visiting an old one, learning something that you have always wanted to, or just taking the time to relax.

3. Do some exercise (we promise it doesn’t have to be boring)

The thought of exercise often makes us think of an uninspiring PE lesson, but it can be so much better (and really improve your wellbeing too). There is pretty much an exercise to suit everyone out there, from hot yoga to rock climbing, from ballet to kickboxing, and from hula hooping to karaoke, so why not try a few and see what sticks. You might actually enjoy it!

4. Be social – but on your terms!

Social contact is generally good for your mental health, but sometimes feeling down can make us feel like we don’t want to talk to others. However, closing yourself off can leave you feeling lonely and disconnected. If you’re feeling low and that seeing someone would be overwhelming, why not schedule a short phone, video call or walk with a loved one, with the idea that you can always extend it if you wish?

Even if you are feeling good, keep on spending quality time with people that you enjoy hanging out with. However, don’t feel pressured to say yes to every invitation – there may be some evenings that you want to chill on your own, and that’s okay too! Different people have different levels of social energy, and it’s important to respect yours.

5. Treat yourself

Finally, the last of our wellbeing tips, but not the least… treats are good for the soul, and as long as you can afford them and they make you feel good, there’s no reason to not pamper yourself a little.

Treats don’t have to be expensive or unhealthy – they can just be anything that makes you feel good, from a slice of cake to a charity shopping spree. As the saying goes, a little bit of what you fancy does you good!

What are your tips for boosting wellbeing in 2023? We’d love to hear on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.