December is the month that we have dedicated to our fourth Wellbeing area: Connect with Others. Already we have worked our way through September’s ‘Eat Well’, October’s ‘Stay Active’ and November’s ‘Sleep Well’. And all the new and healthier habits we’ve taken on have hopefully helped us to become healthier, feel better and stay well.
So, what’s so special about ‘Connect with Others’?
Well, we all know that human Beings are social creators.
Our connections with others enable us to thrive and survive.
Research shows that people who engage in meaningful, productive and social activities generally live longer, have a sense of purpose and maintain better mood.
Engaging with our Top Tips for December will help us to do just that!
We do, however, need to be aware of the continuing Covid infection rates and of the emergence of new variants. All of our tips are offered to encourage the people of Wexford to connect with each other; we would urge everyone to practice caution and to meet up outdoors for shorter periods of time, wear face coverings and adhere to all the public health advice that is available, in order to protect us all from infection and from serious illness.
Top Tips for Connecting
- Connect with others at places you already go, at home, at work, in your neighbourhood
- Use shared experiences as a topic of conversation
- Give compliments
- Make time to be socially connected outdoors
- Actively listen
- Call someone
- Send someone a text
- Send a card to someone
- Pay attention to what interests others
- Organise activities outdoors and follow Department of Health guidelines
- Exercise with a friend or family member
- Invite someone out for a walk
- Keep in touch with what is going on in your community, all the time following Department of Health guidelines
- Listen to the radio
- Check out the local newspapers
- Keep in touch with what is happening on social media
- Consider volunteering
- Learn a new skill through a course or club
All of the above tips will help us to become more connected with others and to stay connected. And that’s what it’s all about! Let’s ensure that we stay connected with each other through December and beyond!
And above all, stay safe everyone!
And don’t forget to contact us with your own ideas for Connecting with Others. Do please let us know what tips you have to stay connected, what strategies you employ to keep in touch with others.
And there’s more to do in December and over the holiday period! Following on the success of the ‘Great Spaces and Places’ initiative by Paula Lowney, more is planned for December. ‘Great Places and Spaces’ invited the children of Co Wexford to submit visual depictions of their favourite place for play, adventure and wellbeing in their area. Over the Christmas holiday period, Wexford MHA is planning to run a “Great Spaces and Places” photo campaign to encourage children and families to get out and about over the Christmas Holidays and to send in photos and comments related to wellbeing to the WMHA that can be put up and shared on Facebook.
Be sure to keep an eye on the Wexford MHA Facebook page!