In our latest Reflecting Ireland research, we found that since the pandemic 6 out of 10 of us (61%) believe that quality of life is more important. People in Ireland are now choosing to make their wellbeing a priority with over half us of putting our mental health (60%) and physical health (58%) first.

There are three things that are fundamental to our psychological wellbeing: having a sense of control over our lives, connecting with others and feeling capable in what we do. To help improve our sense of wellbeing, we’ve teamed up with Claire Cogan of BehaviourWise to bring you tips on how to be more mindful of these 3 ‘C’s.

Tips for wellbeing. The 3 'Cs'

Control

1. Focus on what you can control, not on what you can’t. A lot of what makes us anxious and stressed is beyond our control. World events, hypothetical scenarios, uncertain outcomes – all are beyond our control. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, pay more attention to the things you can influence, and less to those you can’t.

2. Stay informed but manage your exposure to news. It’s good to keep up to date, but constant exposure to news when a lot of the news is bad can have a detrimental effect. Be deliberate about when and how often you tune in to the latest news updates.

3. Make some tech-free time. Technology has made our lives so much easier, but it’s important not to let it take over. Take a tech break each day.

Connection

4. Keep in touch. Keep in regular contact with family and friends. Regular contact with the people we care about makes us feel happier and more secure.

5. Make time for in person connections. Technology allows us to stay connected. More than ever we communicate with family, friends and colleagues through a range of devices. Great as technology is, it is no substitute for connecting with people in person. Make time to meet in person for better quality connections.

6. Connect with nature. Spend some time outdoors and in nature each day. Connecting with nature is proven to benefit our mental health. Bringing nature indoors (plants, flowers, etc.) is also good for us.

Capability

7. Learn something new. Take up a new hobby, learn a new skill or expand your knowledge – learning keeps our brains healthy.

8. Take on a new challenge. Set yourself a challenge or take on a new responsibility – achieving something new builds self-confidence.

9. Break a bad habit. Pick a bad habit, however small, and break it - one day at a time. Each step in the right direction makes us feel better. Better again, replace a bad habit with a good one!

The content of this blog does not constitute advice and is for general information purposes only. Readers should always seek professional advice before relying on anything stated in the blog. Some of the links above bring you to external websites. Your use of an external website is subject to the terms of that site.