Suzanne Askham

The Best Gifts for Mental Wellbeing: Stories and Practices

In a local discussion group recently, we swapped notes about some favourite wellbeing practices. We began with a question: ‘What was a notable wellbeing gift that you once received?’ I loved the way everyone shared meaningful stories. Some of the gifts were unexpected treats, such as a bouquet of flowers, a couple of tickets to Bath Spa, and a voucher for a special garden centre. In other answers, the gifts cost nothing at all, but were full of kindness and love. These included handwritten messages, and practical or moral support at times that we needed it. 

One of the subjects that came up quite a lot was mental health, and all the challenges around that. We shared our experiences of depression, anxiety and burn-out – how easy it can be to slide down the mental health slope, and how challenging it can be to help ourselves out of it. Several mentioned the value of setting achievable tasks. “It gives structure to my day,” was one comment. “We all need a purpose, don’t we?” was another. 

One member took us through a quick routine of chair stretches – fun to do, and a valuable reminder that simple movement can enhance mental as well as physical wellbeing. Finally, we talked about things we were looking forward to: sunshine, friends and travel all featured here. 

We finished with a question that I would like to share with you: how will you look after your wellbeing today?