a) Keep active – do something physical each day. Could be as simple as taking the
dog out for a walk (if you’ve got a dog!), but could be going for a swim, or going to
the gym every day.
b) Maintain your relationships – for all kinds of reasons, friends are vital. Good friends,
supportive friends, friends who won't judge you or try to take advantage of you. And
we can all take steps to maintain our friendships. We can make sure we ‘phone,
write, text, etc. You might even consider a kind of semi-professional approach - selfhelp
groups for people in a similar position to yourself.
c) Learn – keep your brain active. Engage your brain. Your brain is the most fantastic
machine ever created, and it needs to be exercised (I would say this, I’m an
academic, but honestly… it’s good for you!).
d) Give – this isn’t political brainwashing, there’s real evidence that getting involved
in charitable activity (and it’s probably better to give your time and effort, rather than
money) makes people happier.
e) Stay open-minded – this is perhaps the trickiest thing, but it relates directly to
rumination… so it deserves its own section.
See full report HERE
Peter Kinderman 2017
Professor of Clinical Psychology at University of Liverpool
