At The Indytute HQ we often chat about wellbeing and the importance of balance. Calypso’s go to is wild swimming, Clare heads into the garden and Helen hits the gym to lift weights when life gets, well, all a bit much. Whatever your outlet, below are the NHS-recommended steps to mental wellbeing. Turns out that a little bit of Indytute could go a long way.

1. Connect with other people

Switch off that smartphone, disconnect social media and make time to be with loved ones. Share a meal together, arrange a day out with friends or try volunteering at a local community group. There's a reason experiences to enjoy together are some of our best sellers.

2. Be Physically Active with Active and Outdoor Experiences

Keeping active helps you to set and achieve goals raising your self esteem. Whether that's getting your 10K steps, joining a couple of strength training classes or simply pottering around the garden getting your weeding done. You do not need to spend hours running or camp out in the gym. Even light exercise releases endorphins to boost your mood. Check out our active experiences for fun ideas to supplement your exercise regime.

3.  Learn new skills: Cooking & Arts and Craft Workshops

Learning a new skill helps build a sense of purpose, ignites your imagination and creativity and helps connect with others. Lack of time/money often stops us signing up but consider cooking a new dish (maybe take inspiration from another culture), craft workshops, cooking classes or take up a DIY project. My 11 year old learnt to crochet entirely from YouTube tutorials! There are tons of videos online but face to face is always best. Check out our arts and crafts and cooking classes here for inspo.