WoW Newsletter – September 2021

Welcome to the Wheel of Wellbeing (WoW) – a simple framework designed to improve people’s health, happiness and wellbeing by focusing on six areas – Body, Mind, Spirit, People, Place and Planet. This monthly newsletter provides a roundup of the latest wellbeing tips, activities, research and resources to inspire better health and wellbeing. Tap into them – for yourself, your families, workplaces, schools and communities – and help create a happier world for us all!

“Learning is a treasure that accompanies its owner everywhere”
Chinese Proverb

This month we celebrate the joy of learning and trying out new things. Learning isn’t just about formal qualifications, it’s about things that interest and excite us, such as hobbies, projects and passions that help us to stay curious and engaged. It’s also about challenging ourselves to do things in a new and different way, giving us a sense of accomplishment and boosting our self-confidence and resilience. When we learn new things, we create new neural pathways in our brain and strengthen existing ones. Lifelong learning is like going to the gym and doing a workout for your brain!

WoW Days of the Month

Why not use these inspiring international days to create a focal point for wellbeing activities in your school, workplace or community.

September is ‘Read a New Book Month’

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

Read a New Book Month is a perfect opportunity to pick up that novel or non-fiction book (or e-book) you’ve been meaning to read. It’s about learning new things, living creative lives, and opening our minds to new possibilities. Of course, this isn’t the only month that you can be reading new books but, hopefully, it will inspire a thirst for knowledge and joy that can come from between the pages of a book. What’s more, reading books benefits both your physical and mental health, and those benefits can last a lifetime.

8th September – International Literacy Day

Photo by Florencia Viadana on Unsplash

International Literacy Day aims to highlight the importance and value of literary education for individuals and communities, as well as for society as a whole. It has been estimated that nearly 800 million adults worldwide lack even the most basic literacy skills. This is not only in developing nations. In Australia, nearly half the population struggles without the literacy skills to meet the most basic demands of everyday life and work. There are 46% of Australians who can’t read newspapers; follow a recipe; make sense of timetables or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle. (Source: Australian Library and Information Association)

14th September – The Australian Reading Hour
If you’re in Australia, The Australian Reading Hour is the celebration event that kicks off two weeks of events, encouraging us to read more often. Why not join in? Check out events, activities and free resources here.

20-26th September – International Week of Happiness at Work

Photo by Leon on Unsplash
The International Week of Happiness at Work is about making happiness at work the rule not the exception. It doesn’t mean that everyone is expected to be happy all the time, but we do know that happy employees are likely to be more productive, flexible, resilient, creative, and work better with their colleagues. Why not put the topic on your work agenda and start to make the change to a happier, more productive workplace? Click here to explore the science behind happiness at work and for some great workplace happiness suggestions.

21st September – World Gratitude Day
World Gratitude Day has been designed to bring the whole world together in a day that is all about being thankful. World Gratitude Day joins organisations, nationals, and individuals in sharing their gratitude in different ways. Check out some inspiring gratitude ideas here.

Image from Dr Jean and Friends

21st September – International Day of Peace
The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”. In 2021, as we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier.

29th September – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

Did you know that, globally, 17% of total food production is wasted? Our food systems cannot be resilient if they are not sustainable. Here are some easy things you can do to be a Food Hero and make not wasting food a way of life; some ideas to plan a sustainable next holiday by avoiding over-eating and food waste; and a poster to print and decorate your fridge.
Stop food loss and waste. For the people. For the planet.
(Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-food-waste-day )

30th September – International Podcast Day

Photo by Roy Javier on Unsplash

Do you enjoy learning new things by listening to podcasts? Why not celebrate International Podcast Day by finding a new podcast to subscribe to or by sharing one of your favourite podcasts with a friend, family member or co-worker.

Watch and Listen

Bring on the learning revolution with this wonderful TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson, and learn how to expand your reading repertoire in this engaging talk about the ‘year reading a book from every country in the world.”

Featured WoW Activity

Share a Skill

Research indicates that adult learning has positive effects on our wellbeing, life satisfaction, optimism and sense of achievement and success. It’s also like a workout for our brain, helping to keep it active and grow new neural pathways as we age. And learning with others means that we can enjoy all the benefits of connecting as well! So why not try this Share a Skill activity with friends, family or a colleague?

Great Articles and Websites

Be inspired to become an avid reader by this infographic on the 14 ways reading improves your mind and body

Can you guess what the Japanese word ‘Tsundoku’ has to do with books? Find out here, and while you’re at it, why not check out the plethora of free online courses, movies, audio books, podcasts and ebooks on this website!

Click here for some more great learning ideas and self-learning resources, collated by Living Well.

Join the reading revolution! Shared Reading is a unique experience that helps thousands of people to connect, feel good and live well. If you’re in the UK check out The Reader to find a group near you.

I’m FREE!

Please feel free to use all or parts of this newsletter for your websites, blog, social media, newsletter or other communications to inspire your group members

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