What is Wellbeing?
Wellbeing involves integrating body, mind, and spirit, recognizing that our actions, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs affect our overall state of wellbeing.
Wellbeing goes beyond the absence of illness; it includes a broader spectrum of factors that contribute to our overall health and happiness.
Wellbeing is far more than just being disease-free. It's this intricate blend of physical vitality, mental clarity, emotional balance, and social connection that shapes our happiness and contentment in life.
In essence, our wellbeing depends on how we see ourselves and our lives. It's shaped by our perception of ourselves and our experiences in life.
Longevity and Aging well
Longevity and aging well mean not just living longer, but living those extra years in good health, vitality, and fulfillment. It's about having the physical and mental capacity to continue enjoying the activities that bring you joy, spending quality time with loved ones, exploring new places, and pursuing personal growth.
Whether it's engaging in hobbies, traveling, or learning new skills, the goal is to have the energy and wellness to make the most of each moment and cherish life's experiences to the fullest.
Research consistently demonstrates a strong correlation between high levels of subjective wellbeing and increased longevity.
Subjective wellbeing refers to the personal evaluation of our overall quality of life and our subjective experiences of happiness, life satisfaction, and fulfillment.
It consists of our perceptions, emotions, and cognitive assessments of our own wellbeing, rather than objective measures such as income or health status.
Subjective wellbeing varies from person to person and is influenced by personal values, culture, life situations, and personality. It can change over time based on life events and experiences.
Studies show that feeling good about life is really important for our health and happiness. When we're happy, we tend to be healthier, cope with stress better, have good relationships, and feel more satisfied with life overall. So, it's important to focus on what makes us happy to live better lives and to age well.
When we're sick, our about perception about life can impact how we cope and recover. Research suggests that people with high levels of subjective wellbeing tend to stay positive during tough times and have stronger immune systems. They might get sick less often than those who feel more negative. So, staying positive isn't just good for our mental health but also helps protect our physical health.
Wellbeing is an ongoing journey that demands our active participation. Every decision, choice, and action we take shapes our overall health and happiness.
It's about achieving balance and harmony across multiple dimensions of our lives, not just physical health, but mental, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing as well.
Wellbeing is like a dance between our personal choices and the world around us. While we're responsible for our own choices and lifestyle, the environment we're in plays a major role too.
“Wellbeing is a multi-faceted concept that extends far beyond mere physical health, reflecting the quality of our lives on many levels.”
Achieving Wellbeing!
Well-being is often mistaken for a simple, unchanging condition where one is either healthy or not, well or unwell. However, this perspective misses the richer, more nuanced reality: well-being is an "active pursuit." It's a dynamic process that involves conscious intentions, deliberate choices, and consistent actions aimed at enhancing one's health and overall sense of well-being.
Achieving a state of well-being requires effort and engagement in various aspects of life.
Wellbeing is a multifaceted concept that cover the overall quality of our life. It is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity but a dynamic state of physical, mental, emotional, and social health.
Various factors can significantly influence our wellbeing, making it a complex interplay between our internal dispositions and external circumstances.
These factors can be grouped into several broad areas including quality of life, biological, physical, psychological, environmental, social, and economic influences.
Biological Factors: Our biology, like our genes and hormones, affects how we feel and function. Genes can make us more likely to get certain illnesses or affect how strong we are. Hormones and brain chemicals also affect how we feel and think, like our mood and energy. As we age or if we're male or female, we might face different health issues that impact how we feel.
Psychological Factors: Psychological factors are all about how we think and feel. If we're positive, able to bounce back from tough times, and can adapt easily, we're more likely to feel good. But if we're struggling with things like depression or anxiety, it can make us feel pretty bad. Our ability to think clearly, handle stress, and understand our emotions also plays a big part in how we feel.
Environmental Factors: Our environment significantly impacts our well-being. Living and working in vibrant places that spark our curiosity and desire to explore can greatly enhance our health and happiness. Access to nature, such as parks and green spaces, clean air, and safe, tidy surroundings, boosts both our physical and mental well-being. Conversely, exposure to pollution, noise, and overcrowded areas can have adverse effects on our health and overall happiness.
Economic Factors: Economic stability plays a big role in our overall happiness and well-being. When we have financial security, it's like unlocking a door to multiple possibilities. It means we have enough money for our basic needs, plus extra to chase our dreams, goals, and enjoy life-enhancing experiences. Being financially stable gives us a feeling of safety and the freedom to make decisions that improve our lives, leading to greater happiness and satisfaction.
Lifestyle Factors: The choices we make in our daily lives, like what we eat, how much we move, our sleep habits, and how we have fun, all have a big impact on our physical health and deeply affect our mental and emotional well-being. Adopting healthy habits can boost our physical energy and clear our minds, but making poor lifestyle choices might cause health problems and lower our overall happiness with life.
In essence, attaining well-being is about creating balance across these different areas of life. It's about making choices every day that contribute to this balance, whether it's choosing nutritious foods, engaging in physical activity, practicing mindfulness, seeking out positive social interactions, or dedicating time to activities that bring joy and fulfillment.
The pursuit of well-being is a continuous journey, one that is personalized to each individual's circumstances, values, and priorities.
