Rochdale Wellbeing Pack [Product Review]

Rochdale Da’wah centre have gone one step further and set up a new campaign which involves developing crucial wellbeing resources specifically for adults, children and new mothers

Traditionally Da’wah groups develop resources which promote teachings of Islam as a means of inviting people to learn about the religion. However, Rochdale Da’wah centre have gone one step further and set up a new campaign which involves developing crucial wellbeing resources specifically for adults, children and new mothers. 

First impressions

I was lucky enough to review all three wellbeing packs before they went live – and the concept was truly beautiful. The booklets provide a light 20-page read filled with tips and activities to manage your wellbeing. When reading through the booklet, I was left wondering why booklets like these aren’t readily developed by local Muslim faith centres and masajid. 

Purpose

The wellbeing packs are used as a way to check in on your emotional wellbeing but also to provide support to others going through a difficult stage of their life (e.g. supporting someone who is pregnant, helping a teen navigate through hormonal changes). 

How do you use it 

The wellbeing packs are distributed based on the profile you match: adult, child, new mother/pregnant woman. Activities are tailored to these profiles and include a wellbeing questionnaire which directly covers how you feel and what you would like changing in your life with the use of a diary, breathing exercises and mindfulness activities. 

Reflections and self development

On several occasions you are left with some food for thought and pertinent points being made based on the tailored pack.

For mothers: It covers raw emotions a new mum may feel, including guilt, pressure to be perfect and loneliness after giving birth. There is a consistent emphasis on others around a new mum to help a woman – after all it takes a village to raise a child! 

Key changes on a woman during her pregnancy including physical and emotional changes are also addressed  – things often unacknowledged or understated by individuals. The inclusion of a brilliant emotional checklist during pregnancy makes it easy to keep tabs on your emotional state and forces you to consciously make an effort in monitoring your emotional wellbeing.

For adults: The contents of the adults pack are very similar to the child wellbeing pack minus the age and gender specific content. However there is a importance stressed on creating positive feelings by helping others and challenging any internal negative feelings by questioning why you are focusing on these feelings and approaching these in a different way.

For children: Key issues related to teenagers usually relate to the hormonal and physical changes a child may go through during teenage years – by having this addressed in a wellbeing pack it helps to normalise a teen going through this. At times many children can be uninformed and left to their own devices. A key social media segment provides some valuable statistics allowing teens to reflect on their social media feed and its impact on body positivity. There is also a boldly honest section on alcohol and drug abuse with respect to its  impact on exacerbating mental health issues. My favourite section however was the one on learning how to forgive others. As youngsters, you can get caught up in holding grudges and behaving in a petty manner especially if under the influence of other peers. 

Overall there was brilliant signposting throughout which guided you to local supports, charities, helplines and apps. Sections on simple lifestyle changes to food, sleep and exercise include easy-to-digest top tips that you can refer to at any given time.

FInal thoughts

The wellbeing packs have been beautifully designed and packaged in such a way that it does not seem so much of a chore but an easy way to reflect on lifestyle choices made.

With the activities, it makes the packs a proactive way in taking care of your wellbeing rather than just being a booklet with extensive amounts of information. Packs specifically tailored to new mothers and children make them more beneficial to those as it uses many relevant examples and signposting where appropriate. With plans to print and distribute locally, these wellbeing packs are a great way of consciously allowing people to check in on their emotional health.

My overall ratings:

Aesthetics: 5/5

Usability: 5/5

Effort level: 5/5

The full range of wellbeing packs can be found here.