Even if it is just a 5-minute walk during your lunch break, please take some time to do this one simple thing which could make a massive difference to your wellbeing. If this goes well, start to think of ways you could increase the time you are walking. Perhaps you could choose a spot in the car park further away, or suggest a ‘walking meeting’ with your colleague for a change.

Would you mind posting how you incorporated a walk into your day? 

So right here, right now (and hopefully for the rest of today), let that feeling go and be free!

Your wellbeing challenge today is a lovely one if you enjoy this activity. Some of you may be do this everyday already, therefore this could be an easy one! However, if it’s not an activity you have done much since studying, it could feel like a challenge…

Today, please pick up a book or Kindle and read... I want you do this at a time when you would normally either be watching Netflix series back to back (guilty!) or when you would be scrolling mindlessly on your mobile phone. These activities tend to disengage your brain or have you looking at other people’s ‘glamourous’ lives and picking fault at your own. Reading can engage your brain, transport you to a magical world and get you thinking about important issues. All great things for your wellbeing!

If you struggle with reading and feel like you don’t have the time or want to make the time, start off with just one chapter per night before you go to sleep. That’s all I do at the moment, and it’s enough to take me away from the mindless Instagram scrolling for 10-15 minutes. I swear this makes it easier to relax and go to sleep as well.

Happy reading!

Any reading suggestions, please post?

I am actually going to ask you to write another list today. Please don’t stop reading now, I promise this list is going to be different and not a list of chores.

It is time to write a list of what makes you happy. Writing the list can also make you sometimes realize that you are spending too much of your time doing the things you don’t really love…perhaps because you feel like you should. I know I am guilty of saying ‘yes’ to lots of different plans when what I really would love to do is snuggle on the sofa with my dog! Make sure you are writing down activities which you can do often – ‘travelling the world’ would be more of a goal than something you can aim to do often…unless you are lucky enough to be that wealthy!

The most important part comes after you have written this list of course, as what you need to do is make sure you are doing these things as often as possible. Do more of what makes you happy – your mental health will improve so much because you are showing yourself you care enough to do what you love and enjoy.

My Happy List:

Chilling with wife and dog on our very comfy sofa

Walking in beautiful surroundings

Weekends away

Eating good food

Getting an early night

Spending weekend days with friends and family

Reading in bed

Writing blog posts

Enjoy writing your list!

Would you please share your happy list in the comments?

Try to relate events in your day to how they made you feel. It sounds a little cliché, but this really can help you identify trends in your behaviors and how those impact your mental health

Kindness, in my opinion, is seriously underrated. It is a wonderful quality to have and show to others. It brightens up someone else’s day, and at the same time will have a positive effect on your self-esteem and wellbeing. Like Princess Diana once said, if you offer kindness to others, you are also more likely to receive it back.

Let’s all make the world a better place by showing some conscious displays of kindness today (and hopefully beyond!)…

Would you please share some kind ideas?

Let’s make an effort today to move towards the light (or further if you’ve had a positive week!), rather than deeper into stormy clouds. A good start is focusing on an activity which might improve your wellbeing…and that is where I can help!

Yes, it is time to declutter. The hardest part about cleaning and decluttering is getting started. I find as soon as you get started, you can get into the flow and you might even start to enjoy it!

Don’t make this an overwhelming task – just aim to declutter or clean one room in the house today. If you do more, great, but it can be tiring and you might be very busy today, so even if it is one area in a room, that is awesome!

At the same time, I want you to also focus on decluttering your mind. Let’s face it, that is more important than our physical surroundings. I ask you to start with the physical but it can make mental decluttering much easier when you look around a clear room. Declutter your mind of negative thoughts and anything that doesn’t resemble self-love. It’s not easy, but make a conscious effort today to push away this darkness when it starts to inch into your mind.

Good luck and happy decluttering!

Would you please share what you decluttered? 

I recommend putting on a TV show or film that makes you laugh, or perhaps a video saved on your phone of friends and family which makes you giggle. Or even a good Facebook meme can work well! I only say the latter one because my boyfriend has a ridiculous video of me in the snow which makes him laugh every time!

My go-to TV show for a laugh is definitely FRIENDS (available on Netflix now yay) – there is always at least one moment per episode which makes me giggle…

Would you please share what makes you laugh?

If you have nothing booked, you have two things to do. Look back at previous holiday photos, and remember those wonderful feelings of happiness and smile at those memories. Secondly, get planning your next trip! Even if it is a cheap weekend or day trip, please plan in something which will allow you to see a different part of the world.

Try to do this every day if you can – focusing on the things you are proud of rather than being anxious about the future will help you remain present and improve your sense of self-worth.

So what have you done today to make you feel proud? (Great song!)

Would you please share what you did that makes you proud? 

Please spend today avoiding all those sugary drinks. Stay away from diet versions as well which are laden with additives. If you don’t like drinking plain water, try flavouring it with lemon, orange, lime, cucumber etc. At the worst, have a little squash to give it some flavour. Tea and coffee – limit yourself to one cup today. Replace it with water and I promise it is increasing your physical and mental wellbeing…

However, it is important to sit back at the end of a frustrating day and get some perspective…

So before you go to bed tonight, either think or write down at least five things you have been grateful for today. This is an amazing thing to do daily if you can, or weekly…or monthly…yearly is better than never!

 | A work colleague being kind and generous and giving me great advice | Having time to take a walk after work | My high school friend-making time to speak to me on the phone | A sunny day | Grateful to have time to write this wellbeing prompt

Would you please share your gratitude list?

We shouldn’t be afraid. Everyone’s opinion is worth something, and it wreaks havoc with your self-esteem if you let the fear of being yourself take over to the point where you are acting like somebody else.

Today, please, be unashamedly you. Say what you are thinking, rather than stopping yourself for fear of saying something ‘wrong’. Listen to the music which makes your heart sing, rather than pretending to like something else. Admit that your favourite film is Lord of the Rings when your colleague talks about his hatred of fantasy films. Be quiet when you want to be, be crazy when that feeling hits…and don’t fear the reactions. There is only one of you, the world does not need clones and you need to stop denying everyone your uniqueness.

Today, it is time to reflect. Reflect on the day that has passed, or even the week/month/year so far. Take stock of the challenges and successes. What has made you feel good in body and mind? What has made you feel anxious, tired, and down?

After you have reflected, make a pact with yourself that you will make a specific change. What change would make you feel better, healthier, and happier? For me, I have learned that office politics get me down and affect my life negatively both in and out of work. The change I am committing to myself is that I will do my best to stay out of these politics and keep my frustrations to myself and people outside of work!

In summary, you can take control of certain things which negatively affect your physical and mental wellbeing. Today, reflect on what is harming your wellbeing and make a change…

Do you have any reflections you would like to share?

We need people in our lives to make us laugh, listen to our stories and to support us through hard times. Shutting yourself away for days rather than hours does you more harm than good.

Therefore, your activity today is to arrange a catch up with somebody who makes you feel good. Someone who supports you or inspires you. It doesn’t matter if it’s scheduled next week or even next month, but arrange to spend your energy with those people who improve your wellbeing. Oh, and it can’t be anyone who lives in your house – this is about making contact with someone you don’t see everyday

Do you remember that episode of FRIENDS, when Phoebe said that you couldn’t donate 100% selflessly? I think she was right, and this is a positive thing because it means it is a win-win situation to give to others. They benefit from your generosity, and you benefit from feeling good about giving.

So today, make a donation! It’s so easy nowadays to do this – online or in person if you see a collections box. Give at least $5.00 and feel good about it – even if your self-esteem and/or wellbeing is at rock bottom, you have done something amazing today.

Don’t rely on others to buy you flowers, chocolates or other treats. Take control and show yourself some love independently today. I’m not advising anyone to spend hundreds of pounds on the latest gadget (unless you have the spare money rocking around!), but treat yourself to something which brings you happiness.

Personally I am probably going to buy an acai bowl, as I always rely on others to buy these for me. Why wait?!

Some of you may be turning off immediately and thinking this activity is too challenging. It is so much easier to stay in your comfort zone where you feel safe and cosy. Nothing wrong with that, I won’t make a prat of myself or fail if I stay at home and do things that I know well.

Do you want to feel good about yourself? Do you want to improve your self-esteem and boost your wellbeing? If the answer is yes, then you need to take on this challenge. All you need to do is try something new (lovely rhyming there). The great thing is, it doesn’t have to be anything HUGE! It could be…but if you’re nervous let’s start small. Here are some suggestions:

Different route to work
Talk to a colleague you’ve never spoken to before
Cook a new recipe
Try a new exercise class, machine at the gym or YouTube exercise video
Do something new in the evening e.g. crossword with your partner instead of watching TV
Trying new things regularly will refresh your mind, body and life so let’s get started this week!

I actually find this one quite challenging, as I am not naturally the type of person who gets creative in their spare time. I don’t draw, make music, write novels or make clothes! However I do believe that creativity can have a positive impact on your wellbeing. Creating this website made me feel good about myself again. It increased my self-esteem and gave me something to focus on, which I could feel proud of. It also distracted me from negative thoughts and bad habits.

If you don’t fancy any of the traditional creative outlets (writing, drawing etc.), another good one is to create a scrapbook of photos and memories e.g. from a holiday, or nowadays it’s not too far-fetched to make a movie using your phone and basic editing software. How about creating a quote picture to live by as well? Of course, you could also focus your creative skills on a gift for somebody else, e.g. a handmade card or photo collage.

Whatever you end up doing, don’t be critical about the end result and just applaud yourself for letting go of Netflix for an hour or two.

Invest in some time to learn. Perhaps at school you couldn’t be bothered to put in much effort, or if you did perhaps you’re missing that daily chance to learn something. Investing time to learn will send a message to yourself that you are taking time for yourself, and showing yourself self-love.

The great thing is that now, unlike at school ,you can choose something which truly interests you!

A few of my ideas:

 | Start learning a language | Use YouTube for dozens of learning videos – if you’re up for anything, type ‘learn how to’ and see what comes up! | Ask a friend or family member to teach you something they are an expert in for an evening

Your final action is to set intentions for the rest of the year. Forget about New Year being the only time to set resolutions. Now is as good a time as any to take control over your wellbeing, happiness and life. It doesn’t matter if it is a small intention (to be honest, you’re more likely to succeed that way), just choose at least three which will make a difference. You could look back at the past 30 days for some inspiration.

My three key intentions for the year ahead are:

 | Put time aside to do what I want to do (self-care) | Walk everyday | Accept that I can only do what time allows me to do at work (grace)