Every fortnight, the Network of Wellbeing (NOW) collates the offers being made at the intersection of wellbeing and social change at this time. In this post we share resources to nourish our hopes and highlight beacons of inspiration and positive action as we navigate these times together.
Recent events have shone an even brighter spotlight on the privilege and inequality that is prevalent in our society. As the world responds to the global pandemic and the killing of George Floyd, how can we begin to look at our privilege in a different way? Can listening and hearing, especially to others that are less privileged than ourselves, propel us towards greater equality and wellbeing? And how can we build a politics that provides for all?
Our vision at The Network of Wellbeing (NOW) is of a world where everyone’s wellbeing needs are met within the planet’s natural limits. In these unprecedented times, we all need to find effective ways of supporting each other and building wellbeing together.
During recent weeks, we have been listening, learning and committing to play our part creating positive change. We have re-launched our Building Wellbeing Together webinar series and would love you to join us on Tuesday 23 June to explore how action in communities can help build wellbeing and health for all.
In the meantime, here’s our latest curation of support, responses, perspectives and events from across the globe.
Finding New Perspectives:
READ:
- Why social justice is central to treating Covid-19. Yes! Magazine explains why social justice is so crucial to medical education and the care of marginalised communities.
- Go to the places that scare you. The challenges of working for change, and the possibility of living with awareness – and joy.
- There is no climate justice without racial justice. Looking at the root causes not just the symptoms.
WATCH / LISTEN:
- Our Compassion in Action webinar. Hear from Alex Nunn (Action for Happiness), Ruby Reed (Advaya) and Kareem Ghandour (The Heart Movement) about how we can truly help others in ways that support our wellbeing too.
JOIN:
- Systemic Racism, Black Lives Matter and the Wellbeing Economy, Wednesday 24 June at 4pm. Join WEAll and Ayomide Fatunde for a conversation on systemic racism and wellbeing.
- Wellbeing Economics, Thursday 25 June at 6pm. Katherine Trebeck from WeAll outlines how we can achieve a #JustRecovery from Covid-19 and how the Amsterdam City Doughnut research points a way.
Supporting Your Mental Health and Wellbeing:
Image via @hello.shannon
READ:
- Could volunteering be the key to a long and healthy life? A new study by Harvard University adds weight to the idea that being altruistic can help us live longer.
- Coronavirus and isolation. The Mental Health at Work’s toolkit for supporting yourself and your colleagues.
- Kindness v coronavirus: how altruistic acts are helping people cope. Discover why it’s a good time to get kind.
WATCH / LISTEN:
- Satish Kumar Talk: The Power of Love. Satish shares his wisdom on how the power of love can help to promote personal, political and planetary wellbeing.
JOIN:
- Self-care club, every Monday at 8pm. An offering from Museum for Happiness where you are invited to hit the pause button and top-up on self-care.
- An interactive 5-Week Online Course in Acceptance and Commitment Training taught by Shamash Alidina, author of Mindfulness for Dummies. Starts Monday 27 July at 6pm.
- Webinars on self-care in times of crisis organised by The World Happiness Foundation.
Innovative Community Responses:
READ:
- Reaching out the hand of friendship. How befriending services are ensuring that no one’s world remains silent for long.
- Local Food Heroes. Stories of passion and generosity of the people going over and above to share food safely during lockdown.
- The Loneliness Conceptual Review by WEAll. Untangling loneliness and low wellbeing.
WATCH / LISTEN:
- A replay of our webinar Learning from Lockdown: Community Wellbeing Responses.
JOIN:
- Community Action for Wellbeing and Health, our next free webinar on Tuesday 23 June. With Simon Schebersky (Torbay Community Development Trust) Brendan Martin (Buurtzorg Britain and Ireland) and Jane Pightling (Evolutionary Connections)
- World Localisation Day on Sunday 21 June. An online festival of ideas and inspiration to inspire lasting structural change for the wellbeing of people and planet
- Future Conversations, six weekly online sessions to help you and your community raise your resilience, starting on 30th June.
Regular / Ongoing Wellbeing Events:
- Retreats at Home run by The Sharpham Trust. Structured yet flexible retreats designed to fit in with our ‘new normal’ of daily life at home
- Arts Well, an informal networking opportunity to talk arts, health, creativity and wellbeing. Created by ArtsWell CIC.
Looking Further Ahead:
Image kindly shared by @resurgencetrust.
- The Power of Humility 14 July at 7:30pm. Satish Kumar shares his thoughts in this new series of talks from Resurgence.“Humility connects, arrogance divides and separates. We need to shift from separation to union.”
Thank You and Please Share Your Wellbeing News and Events!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post; we hope you found it useful. We’d love this blog to be part of a wider conversation on how people are caring for personal and collective wellbeing in these rapidly changing times.
Here at NOW, we previously framed this regular post as ‘The Good News Is…’ but to align more closely with the overarching theme of our work – building wellbeing together – we are now framing this post around #WellbeingTogether.
So, we’d love to invite you to share your wellbeing-related news and events with us using the hashtag #WellbeingTogether and tagging us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Sending gratitude to you for your care for wellbeing!