Last year, 2020 was the year of the ‘be kind’ hashtag. Influencers and media outlets the world over were encouraging us all to take care of one another because each of us has our own private battles to face. This month of Saint Valentine, we consider the benefits of turning that compassion inwards and being kind to ourselves.

As humans, we all have a tolerance for managing stress. The terms eustress means stress which is positively managed by the body and mind to beneficial effect. Exciting or stressful events cause a chemical response in the body which gives us a little more energy and drive to do more and to motivate us in our task. Eustress is a helpful and positive product of a nervous system response to challenge. Without eustress, our well-being can actually suffer. It helps us stay motivated, work toward goals, and feel good about life.

The word wellbeing is so much more frequently heard these days in all sorts of situations. Advertisers promote the advancement of wellbeing by the use of their products, organisations are scrambling to be seen to promote the wellbeing of their employees, schools teach wellbeing as something to be nurtured, too. What does wellbeing actually mean?