Free wellbeing boost begins today!

Free wellbeing boost begins today!

Media release from the Mental Health Foundation and Healthy Christchurch
7 October, 2013

A national competition designed to boost wellbeing starts today and there’s still time to register.

The Wellbeing Game is a free online game, which runs from October 7 to November 3. Players record the activities that make them feel good and map them to one or more of the Five Ways to Wellbeing: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, and give.

Ciaran Fox, of the Mental Health Foundation, says the five actions that form the basis of The Wellbeing Game are guaranteed to lift your mood.

“International and New Zealand studies have shown that incorporating these five actions into your day improves your health and wellbeing,” Ciaran says.

“The Wellbeing Game provides a fun way for people to become more aware of the things that keep us well, whether it’s catching up with loved ones, getting stuck into a good book, or enjoying the garden. It also brings out people’s competitive spirit.”

An evaluation of last year’s game showed players enjoyed becoming more mindful of their mental and physical wellbeing. More than half of players said their wellbeing had improved as a result of taking part, and the people who played the game for the longest time experienced the biggest increase in wellbeing.

Tanya McCall, from Healthy Christchurch, says the game was developed by Healthy Christchurch and the Mental Health Foundation following the Canterbury earthquakes.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges in Canterbury over the last three years and many of us continue to face many obstacles. The beauty of The Wellbeing Game is that it offers an opportunity to focus on the little things that we can control, which are good for us,” Tanya says.

“While the game was first developed in Canterbury, anyone playing it stands to benefit. We’re excited about taking the game nationwide this year, and are looking forward to wellbeing being boosted on a national scale.”

For more information, and to register, go to www.thewellbeinggame.org.nz.

The Wellbeing Game forms a key component of the Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which has a specific focus on ‘connect’, and also begins today.

ENDS

© Scoop Media