What is wellbeing?
According to Merriam-Webster1, “well-being” is defined as “the state of being happy, healthy, or prosperous”. However, many books written on the topic, such as Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements2, spell the word without the hyphen. Thus, there has been debate about whether well-being and wellbeing are one and the same – they are. Here, we will use one word without the hyphen – wellbeing.
While many seek wellbeing, few really understand what they are after.
Take Taylor for example. They exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, stay hydrated, and try to get 8 hours of sleep. Despite doing all these things, Taylor still feels dissatisfied but does not know what to do about it. Although Taylor is engaging in many healthy habits to care for physical wellness, they have not tapped into the importance of wellbeing. Let me further explain…
Wellbeing encompasses your thoughts, actions, and experiences. It measures a general sense of satisfaction, happiness, and success in various areas of your life – work, play, health, and love to name a few. Often, wellbeing is associated with a sense of purpose.
Are wellbeing and wellness the same thing?
People use wellbeing interchangeably with wellness but there are distinctions between the two. In fact, if you do a Google search for wellbeing-related topics, the results show mostly wellness-related findings. It’s no wonder people find the distinctions difficult to understand!
Whereas wellness is action-oriented – habits and behaviors, wellbeing is a state of mind. Wellness encompasses actions taken in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, such as regular physical activity. Conversely, wellbeing is your state of mind and perception of your life, such as feeling productive or performing at the peak of your capabilities.
In sum, wellness includes the actions and habits used in pursuit of an outcome, while wellbeing is perception and a state of being. Wellbeing broadly encompasses all the dimensions of wellness resulting in total mental health. Although distinct, they are inter-related with wellness directly influencing your overall wellbeing and wellbeing increasing your likelihood for successful wellness practices.
“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
~Lao Tzu
What are the dimensions of wellbeing?
Much interest surrounds the topic of wellbeing! There are endless studies and books regarding this topic. While there is a great deal of overlap, varying conclusions exist.
According to the global research conducted by Gallup3 in more than 150 countries, there are five main elements of wellbeing – career, social, financial, physical, and community. The study goes on to say that while 66% of people are doing well in at least one of these areas of wellbeing, only 7% are thriving in all five.
In addition to the five elements of wellbeing defined by Gallup, others have been defined, such as emotional wellbeing. Taken together, “wellbeing is about the combination of our love for what we do each day, the quality of our relationships, the security of our finances, the vibrancy of our physical health, and the pride we take in what we have contributed to our communities.”3
While this list is not comprehensive, here are the most commonly identified dimensions of wellbeing:
Emotional Wellbeing
According to the Berkley Well-Being Institute, Emotional Wellbeing is “the ability to practice stress-management techniques, be resilient, and generate the emotions that lead to good feelings”.4 This entails managing the negative emotions and feelings about any given situation to feel greater life satisfaction.
Do you feel mentally strong? Are you happy and fulfilled?
Career or Workplace Wellbeing
According to research, Career Wellbeing was the foundation of the “best possible life”.2 Career or Workplace Wellbeing refers to your ability to pursue your interests, skills, and purpose in order to gain meaning, happiness, and enrichment professionally.4 At the core, Career Wellbeing is about enjoying what you do each day and feeling like you can use your strengths.
Does your work align with your values and greater sense of life purpose? Are you achieving your optimal performance each day?
Social Wellbeing
The ability to communicate, develop intimacy, to maintain meaningful relationships with others, and have a support network that helps you overcome feeling lonely.4 Many people are shocked to learn that six hours of social time is recommended each day.2
Are you satisfied with your relationships with others? Do you show gratitude toward others and kindness regularly?
Financial Wellbeing
Many people think that Financial Wellbeing is related to how much money someone has. However, that is not the case. Instead, the perception that you have more than enough money to do what you want has three times the impact of your income alone on overall wellbeing.2
Do you feel you have enough money to support the life you wish to lead? Are you clear about your financial goals and how to reach them?
Physical Wellbeing
Engaging in healthy habits, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and avoiding smoking and drinking helps to improve the overall functioning of your body. Physical Wellbeing is optimized when you manage your health well.2
Is your body pain-free and well-functioning? Do you implement healthy habits into your daily life?
Community or Societal Wellbeing
Positive social support and accountability to others, as well as the ability to actively participate in creating a thriving community, culture, and environment are important components of Community Wellbeing.4 However, the main focus is on what you give back to your community.
Do you feel like you are a part of something bigger than just yourself? Are you helping build a stronger community?
The good news? Wellbeing can be improved!
There are many skills that can be developed and techniques that can be taught to help improve your overall feelings of wellbeing. The first step is to understand where you are thriving, surviving, and struggling.
The key to successfully improving your wellbeing is sticking with it! Even if you achieve positive results, it is important to stick with it to avoid ending up right back where you started.
At Ancorio, a Transformational Coaching model is used to help you achieve long-term changes by helping you to deeply explore who you are – your beliefs, values, identity, and purpose. You will gain a deeper understanding of what motivates you and how to tap into that to achieve goals. One fundamental focus of all coaching I provide is ensuring that your professional success is not at the expense of your personal wellbeing.
I’d love to hear from you. Comment below on an area of wellbeing you feel you could improve.
Resources:
1. Merriam-Webster
2. Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements
3. Gallup
4. Berkley Well-Being Institute
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