What is wellbeing?
Wellbeing is not just about being happy. It covers every part of who you are: your body, your mind, your relationships and how you feel about your life as a whole. It is holistic. As one young person put it:
Well-being is such a big thing. It means a lot. It is like talking about anything.
A young person
Mental
How you think and cope
Physical
Sleep, food and movement
Social
Belonging and connection
Purpose
Goals and meaning
Concepts of Subjective Well-being
Well-being is made up of three connected parts. None of them can be looked at alone.
Concepts of
Subjective Well-being
Thoughts · Feelings · Meaning
Thoughts
About how life is going
e.g. How happy am I with...
- Family?
- Friends?
- School?
- Health?
Feelings
Good and bad
e.g.
- Happy
- Sad
- Anxious
- Calm
Meaning
In life
e.g. Do I...
- Have a sense of purpose?
- Have strong relationships?
- Believe in myself?
Is talking about well-being important to young people?
Yes, absolutely. Knowing how our young people are doing is central to everything Youth Active does. If we do not ask, we do not know. And if we do not know, nothing gets done about it.
Well-being I think is about making the most of your life, trying to succeed in what you are good at and trying to be happy.
Young person
Your mental state and how healthy you feel, how happy you are in life, having friends and physical activity.
Young person
To me well-being means to be happy to be yourself and being happy to express your identity.
Young person
Awareness
Hover over each card to find out more.
Anxiety
Feeling on edge, restless or worried for no clear reason? That is anxiety. It is common and manageable.
Anxiety
- Your heart races even when nothing is wrong
- Your thoughts keep jumping to worst case scenarios
- You feel nervous or tense for no obvious reason
- Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6. Repeat.
- Name the feeling out loud. It takes away some of its power.
- Talk to someone you trust.
Bullying
Bullying is never your fault. It can happen in person, in group chats or online.
Bullying
- Being left out or ignored on purpose
- Hurtful comments about how you look or who you are
- Spreading rumours or screenshots shared without permission
- Tell someone you trust. You do not have to deal with this alone.
- Screenshot online bullying and report it. Do not respond.
- Youth Active is a safe space. Come and talk to us.
Resource guide topics
These topics are covered in detail in our resource pack. Hover to preview, then download the guide.
Stress Bucket
Stress Bucket
Think of your mind like a bucket. Stress fills it. Without ways to let things out, it overflows.
Download guide
Coping with Emotions
Coping with Emotions
All emotions are valid, even the hard ones. The skill is learning to notice them and respond well.
Download guide
5 Ways to Wellbeing
5 Ways to Wellbeing
Five simple actions that are proven to make a real difference to how you feel every day.
Download guide
Healthy Habits
Healthy Habits
Small daily habits done consistently make a bigger difference than big changes done once.
Download guideHow we approach conversations
The first thing we do is build trust. Before any questions, before any advice, we simply say: if anything is wrong, we are here for you at any time. When a young person has that trust, they will come forward and ask for help on their own terms, with minimum pressure.
The qualities that make a young person feel safe to talk
When these qualities are present, a young person does not have to work up the courage to ask for help. The help already feels available.
How to support a young person
Many of our young people say they do not feel heard enough. All their answers point to the same thing: listen to the full story and think before you speak.
What young people told us
Slow down, listen to the full story, and think before you speak.
I think that parents and teachers should listen to the full story and think before they speak because a lot of the time we get guilt tripped accidentally.
Young person
Talk to them and let them know you are listening. Do not yell at them. Ask questions to understand and just be there for them.
Young person
Adults listening even if they do not understand the young person's issues.
Young person
Active listening instead of telling them what to do.
Young person
Youth Active's approach
Youth Active works hard at studying ways our young people can be helped, no matter the situation. By understanding that wellbeing is holistic, we look at the whole person. Our programmes, mentoring and support are all designed with this in mind.
Need to talk?
You do not have to figure it out alone.
Youth Active offers one to one mentoring and youth support for young people in Newham. Whether it is stress, anxiety, bullying or something you cannot quite put into words, reach out. We are here.