What is well-being?

Well-being is the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy. Taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and the body are linked. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. For example, exercise not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphin's, powerful chemicals that energize us and lift our mood. 

Why well-being?

• To have good mental and emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in order to function optimally.  
• The subject of nutrition is complicated and not always easy to put into practice. You will feel better if you learn about what you eat, how it affects your energy and mood, and practice healthy eating habits. 
• Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression. Look for small ways to add activity to your day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going on a short walk. To get the most mental health benefits, aim for 30 minutes or more of exercise per day. 
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Lifestyle behaviors for healthy well-being

1. Coping with stress.
2. Eating nutritious food. 
3. Getting enough sleep.
4. Healthy aging. 
5. Kicking smoking.
6. Managing chronic pain.
7. Stopping Domestic violence.

Physical well being involves exercising, good nutrition and of course making healthy lifestyle choices. Getting active is an important part of incorporating well being into your daily routine. Although you may not feel the immediate benefits whilst exercising, you will experience a feeling of self satisfaction afterwards., especially if yo are looking forward to a goal in order to maintain your health. Participating in physical activity is also a great way to interact with others and help alleviate the feeling of isolation and stress. It does not matter is you are an athlete or not; having a laugh while trying a new activity is always good for your health.

Mental well being is defined as a state of well being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, an work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. 

Steps to mental well being

1. Connect with people around you; family, friends, colleagues and neighbors. Spend time in developing relationships.
2. Be active: take a walk or cycle or play a game. Find an activity that you enjoy and make it part of your life. 
3. Keep learning new skills. This can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. 
4. Give to others what you do not need. Even the smallest can count. Be it a smile, a thank you or a kind word, Larger acts such as volunteering at a local community center can improve your mental well being and help you build social networks effectively. 
5. Be aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings and the body around you. It can change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

In the end, I would like to leave you with a quote:

"Use your creativity to enhance your well-being. Everything is within your reach"

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