Recently I had the pleasure of attending a guided walk in Walsall, arranged by One Walsall (an organisation that support the voluntary sector in Walsall) to mark World Mental Health Day. Along this walk we heard from different voluntary sector organisations and statutory services that support people towards better mental health. One of the speakers was from Walsall Council’s Public Health department – promoting 8 Steps to Wellbeing. I had heard of the NHS’s Five Ways to Wellbeing, so was interested to find out about the extra steps added, in particular the addition of HOPE. I caught up with Nazmin Khanom, Public Health Development Officer for Mental Wellbeing for Walsall Council and asked her about the 8 Steps initiative and the importance of hope….
The NHS’ Five Ways to Wellbeing include: connect with other people, be physically active, learn new skills, give to others and pay attention to the present moment. The three additional steps Walsall included are hydration and nutrition, sleep for wellbeing and hope for the future. We believe these three additions are crucial to wellbeing, as well as achieving a comprehensive approach to improve mental wellbeing and tackle stigma.
The 8 Steps to Wellbeing is a Walsall initiative which we would love to see adopted nationally.
The great thing about the wellbeing plan is you can complete one page or more, depending on your need. You can spend as long or as little as you like on the wellbeing plan.
It is best to keep it within reach so you can grab it as and when needed. I keep mine on my desk.
There is further information about the 8 Steps to Wellbeing on the Walsall Council website. The initiative also forms part of our 10 year Walsall Multi-Agency Mental Wellbeing Placed Based Strategy. We also welcome people to get in touch with us at mwwalsall@walsall.gov.uk
Having a good balance of hope and achievable aspiration can help improve mental wellbeing.
Life is not always easy; it can be difficult for many to have hope for the future when they struggle with challenges that impact their mental wellbeing. These challenges may be from families, friends, work, income, health, grief or something else. Whatever the situation is, building 'Hope for the Future' can help people thrive in a variety of situations.
It is possible to build upon hope by focusing on positive and hopeful moments each day, which will help to increase resilience and the ability to cope through adversity. Examples include:
- Being active: go on a walk with a friend or with community. Across Walsall, there are several walking groups that take place regularly. Further details are available on the Walsall Council website.
- Connect with family, friends and your local community.
- Take notice: Pause for a moment, appreciate, and challenge negative beliefs.
- Show gratitude: gratitude can make people happier, improve relationships, and potentially even counteract depression and suicidal thoughts. Gratitude can also boost self-esteem.
- Limit the intake of social media and negative information.
- Learn something new.
Hope reduces feelings of helplessness, increases happiness, reduces stress, and improves our quality of life.
My personal hopes are:
- To help people understand how to improve and maintain their wellbeing and quality of life.
- Learn about human behaviour and how it influences our choices.
- Learn a new sport.
One of my top tips is attending local support groups. We have a fantastic variety of organisations across Walsall including The MindKind Projects CIC, Walsall Black Sisters Creative, Nash Dom CIC, Caldmore Community Garden and Aaina Community Hub.
You can also access mental health support through counselling. This doesn’t have to be through your GP. Mustard Seed CIC and Walsall Talking Therapies are other services you can contact.
Support is available if you or someone you know may need urgent help. You can contact the
Black Country 24/7 Urgent Mental Health Helpline on 0800 008 6516 or text 07860 025 281