This January and February the wellbeing spotlight is on Take Notice. But why is taking notice good for our wellbeing?
With such busy lives it’s easy to automatically switch to autopilot, going from task to task, lectures to assignments, uni to home, all without noticing what’s happening around us. We forget to stop, take a step back, and really take notice of our surrounds. The tastes, textures and colours of the everyday.
Being present in the moment and savouring experiences can enhance our mood and our wellbeing. Taking a moment to reflect gives us the opportunity to notice our feelings, recognise our negative thoughts and move away from them, whilst also understanding what makes us happy and what’s important.
On campus this week
This week, to encourage you to pause on your way to the next lecture or seminar there will be free installations and exhibitions hosted across campus from the 4 February. Each installation will encourage you to focus on a particular sense. Spring will be here early with a fresh flower wall in the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons. There’ll be an opportunity for more selfies with the funfair mirrors on the first floor of University Place. Check out the weird and wonderful materials that will be on display to handle in the Barnes Wallis hub. Listen out for the chimes along Lime Grove, or grab some potted herbs in Simon or Barnes Wallis.
It’s the little things that matter.
Life is made up of little moments: look up from your phone, switch off autopilot and be present in the everyday. Taking notice of the small things helps us appreciate what matters. Look for beauty in the unexpected.
To find out more about Take Notice and the Six Ways to Wellbeing, visit www.manchester.ac.uk/sixways.