In general, I feel the ACES people talk to much about problems and not enough about solutions. Jane and I are going back on forth on this. She might convince me yet. she says people need to know how awful their life has been in order to decide to fix it. I think just work on fixing it.
Try this resilience info, see how the problems are much less central and the solutions are more emphasized? From here: https://www.mind.org.uk/media/...ient_communities.pdf
5.1 What is wellbeing? There are numerous definitions of both wellbeing and resilience and in our research we found some confusion about what these terms mean.
Wellbeing has been defined as: A positive state of mind and body, feeling safe and able to cope, with a sense of connection with people, communities and the wider environment14. A state in which an individual is able to realise his or her own abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
Wellbeing covers more than just ‘happiness’; it involves the complex interplay of several different factors in a person’s life. When measuring wellbeing the Office for National Statistics includes both subjective measures of a person’s own feelings of wellbeing and more objective factors such as health, finance and housing16. Public mental health approaches should therefore not focus solely on reducing the number of people living with mental health problems, but also need to consider ways of enabling people to flourish by promoting positive wellbeing in all areas of their lives. This report will focus on mental wellbeing, as distinct from physical wellbeing (or physical health).
5.2 What is resilience? Resilience is the capacity of people to confront and cope with life’s challenges and to recover from, or adapt to, adversity. Whilst wellbeing refers to a person’s ‘psychological state at a point in time’19, The Young Foundation describe resilience as ‘dynamic, taking into account the past and the future; a person can build resilience before they hit crisis and be more likely to cope with problems that may be around the corner’20. Resilience can be learned and improved, as well as eroded or worn down by difficult circumstances, so a person’s resilience may vary over their lifetime. The Young Foundation goes on to explain how resilience can add an element of ‘future-proofing’ to a wellbeing analysis.
It is not only important that communities have high levels of wellbeing but also that they are resilient to maintain this wellbeing in difficult circumstances. This is particularly important in a time of economic recession when many people are facing job-cuts, welfare reforms and economic uncertainty. Activities, facilities and services that promote wellbeing are important, but we must make sure that these are not only providing short-term gains in wellbeing, but also longer-term gains in resilience. This report considers three key components to building resilience; • promotion of wellbeing • building social capital • developing psychological coping skills.
5 ways to wellbeing
1. Connect With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.
2. Be active Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness.
3. Take notice Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.
4. Keep learning Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.
5. Give Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.