Give is part of Six Ways to Be Well which breaks down wellbeing into six themes. These themes show that overall wellbeing is about making small positive changes and will help you identify the areas you can focus on to improve your overall wellbeing.

Why give?

Research has found that the act of doing good things can have a benefit to your wellbeing by giving you a sense of purpose, connecting with others and the positive feeling and sense of reward. The act of giving doesn’t need to be a long-term commitment and could be made up of small gestures for the benefit of others.

Volunteering and fundraising

Volunteering is a great way to ‘give’ and contribute to a community. The Students’ Union have a number of volunteering opportunities and student groups you can get involved in or you could search on Do-it to find all the opportunities available locally. The SU also have a Raise and Give (RAG) society who raise money for good causes. Volunteering can also be a great way to meet new friends, learn new skills, keep active, reduce stress and improve your confidence.

Small acts of kindness

Small acts of kindness can also make you feel good. Examples could include:

• thank friends or family you are grateful for
• recycle and give back to the environment
• spend time with people who need company
• phone a friend and ask how they are

Random acts of kindness

You may have heard the term random acts of kindness which falls on the same principles as ‘give'. This is an act of giving or kindness often to a stranger without expecting anything in return.

You may have come across the term Pay it Forward which is a movement to get many people to do small acts of kindness with the aim that many little acts will create a global change for the better.