Everyone wants to feel well as they age. The earlier we start creating healthy habits the more likely that they will last a lifetime. Let’s admit – not many of us have a super healthy routine but it is never too late to start! In our research we looked at some easy daily activities to enhance your wellbeing and to boost your energy.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines wellbeing as “The state of being comfortable, healthy or happy.” It is an important element to people being supported and the Live-in Carers providing that support.
Typically our main concerns are around our health, work and home. We are not used to prioritising wellbeing in the same way, but that is because often we just do not know where to start. Thankfully, The National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU) and the NHS Confederation developed the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ – a comprehensive guide to understanding the areas of life to focus on in order to improve wellbeing. We believe that our Clients and Live-in Carers may benefit from reading this guide and highly recommend it to them.
Here are the key points of the “Five Ways to Wellbeing”:
Get active. Being active is getting our bodies moving - to do as much as you can and as often as you can. This will get you the benefits for your wellbeing, and make you feel improvements of your physical or mental health. We have written several articles about how to be more active which may give our elderly and Home Carers some inspiration. Visit our website to find the article which is more relevant to your situation - https://www.access-care.co.uk/blog
If you still smoke, consider quitting now. This relates to any age group! Even if you have been smoking all your life, quitting will absolutely change your life and improve wellbeing, especially if you are older.
Connect. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of being connected with each other. Being close to and feel valued by other people is an essential human need, and the relationship a Live-in Carer forms with the person they support can be particularly helpful in enabling both people to feel more connected. Social interaction can also help to reduce mental health issues, and there are positive links between social interaction and dementia.
Get involved in meaningful activities. When our loved ones retire, they suddenly have so much time on their hands that they may likely feel bored and depressed. This is the perfect time to remember the things they liked doing when they were young. We recommend reading our article Long Lost Hobbies For People With Dementia where we write about importance of hobbies in our life. Many volunteer for charities or get involved in other communal activities that give you a purpose and help stay connected.
Keep learning. The benefits of learning are amazing. Constantly exposing ourselves to new skills or techniques boosts self-esteem, encourages social interaction and promotes a more active life. Staying mentally active will not only keep us sharp, but also can help with mental health, especially people with dementia and Alzheimer’s. This could be learning a new language with a Domiciliary Carer or preparing a new dish together.
While you learn something new, you also learn to take notice. Taking notice is a simple way to wellbeing. Noticing a bird picking a berry or a hedgehog crossing a road does not seem like a lot, but it helps strengthen and broaden our awareness and is an excellent exercise for our brain.
Give. Giving our time or attention to others is extremely rewarding, and give us a feeling of being valued. Elderly people especially have so much wisdom gained throughout the whole life. If they are given a chance to share this wisdom, they can feel immense satisfaction from if.
These are 5 easy ways to enhance your wellbeing and boost your energy level. Our Living in Carers have a lot to give, they love sharing their kindness, skills and knowledge with their Clients. They connect, get active, learn, take notice and do much more together naturally, which nourish their spirit as well as their mind!
If you have any questions about Live-in Care and how you or your loved once can benefit from it, call 01264 319 399 to speak with our friendly team.