Harnessing the power of community to support Mental Wellbeing
Harnessing the power of the LionFit community to support Mental Wellbeing 
This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week from the 12th – 18th May is Community, which is a something that is really close to our heart here at LionFit.
Building and nurturing relationships with friends, family, colleagues and your community is one of the 5 ways to mental wellbeing. Research shows that people who are more socially connected to family, friends, or their community are happier, healthier, and live longer, with fewer mental health problems than people who are less well connected.
Sport and physical activity provides wonderful opportunities for people to connect and build community whether that is being part of a team, supporting each other in the gym, saying good morning to everyone you meet whilst walking your dog, volunteering at a club/event/setting or making friends through your activity.
This knowledge has guided us in wanting LionFit to be more than just a clothing brand, by creating a vibrant community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for fashion, fitness, wellness and personal growth.
A community where we can build each other up, share our progress and successes, share tips. get help with our challenges and feel like we are not along as we progress our fitness and life journey’s.
This Mental Health Week we are encouraging the LionFit Pride to share their tips for mental wellbeing with each other and create more connections across the wonderful LionFit community that is growing every day.
We thought we would get the ball rolling by asking the LionFit team to share some of their tips in the hope that they may help someone to create new habits that help build their communities and wellbeing.
Our top 3 were:
Getting active outdoors
Spending time in nature and green spaces is good for our soul. Here at LionFit we are big believers in the power of nature as a tool for health and wellbeing and try to move more outdoors whenever we can. From getting out in the garden to exploring local parks, canal towpaths, woodlands, forests, heritage sites or spending time at the coast for some vitamin sea, can bring significant physical and mental health boosts.
Whether it is a walk with friends, having fun at the park with family, connecting over your love of an outdoor sport (and there are many) or simply saying hello to people as you jog or cycle past them the opportunities to connect with others are huge.
If you are interested in creating new connections you could consider participating or volunteering at a number of different programmes across the country for example Parkrun, your local wildlife trust, Walk for Health projects, sporting events (runs, cycles, equestrian events), joining a variety of sport clubs or outdoor gym/training opportunities.
Practicing Gratitude
Gratitude is powerful! Just a minute a day focusing on what we are thankful for can be life changing. It can improve our wellbeing, decrease anxiety and depression, improve our immune system, support better sleep, lower blood pressure and help us have healthier relationships.
“We hold the key to lasting happiness in our own hands. For it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful”.
Brene Brown
Practicing gratitude, everyday, and focusing on the small positive things we are thankful for in our lives, gives us a surge of feel-good chemicals (dopamine and serotonin). It is about noticing and appreciating the small things and expressing thanks for them. You could write it down in a journal or notebook or take time to reach out and thank someone for what they bring to your life (building connections). This is not about negating the challenges or battles in our lives but about recognising that the more we look for the good things, no matter how small, the more we attract and find them. This has made a big difference to members of the LionFit team over the years.
Mindful Moments
The practice of mindfulness has been around for thousands of years, but the benefits of it has increased in recognition in recent years as we look for ways to improve our mental wellbeing. It is a skill that enables you to focus on the present, having an awareness of the world around you, your thoughts and feelings without judgement or reaction.
In this busy world we live in taking notice of these things can help us understand ourselves better and enjoy the world around us more. It can help alleviate anxiety, depression, reduce stress and help us feel more connected to the world and more present for the people around us.
Examples from the LionFit team include spending 5 minutes outside breathing in the fresh air and noticing nature, breathing in for 4 and out for 8 counts to help focus you, a short (or long meditation), immersing yourself in a piece of music and really listening to the detail, a walk in nature or journalling
Now we have shared some of our approaches to mental wellbeing, we want to know more about what you do to support yours and what your pledge if to support your health and wellbeing this week?
Share your tips with the LionFit Community by tagging us @lionfitclothinguk using the following #LionFit