Wellbeing’s profile has certainly been elevated in the past few years, with more and more emphasis being placed on tools, techniques and lifestyle elements that combine to enable us to flourish and live fully. We are inundated with new products, exercise options and food choices. We might buy the new gizmo, listen to that motivational speaker, employ a few new hacks, workout regularly, eat well, get enough sleep, maybe even have fun(!) – so why then are so few of us feeling genuinely fulfilled and happy?
To answer this question we need to delve into what wellbeing is and understand the various elements that go together to create it.
Firstly,
What is wellbeing?
A broad definition is FEELING GOOD and FUNCTIONING well – in other words flourishing, or thriving. I love this definition because it is holistic and so easy to grasp. It covers a broad range of mental and physical elements. It’s not purely about physical health and vitality, it’s much more than that, and our mental and physical health are so interlinked.
Some people seem full of energy and passion, they’re positive and engaged – what’s their secret?:
They know (whether by default or by design) and are applying the key elements contributing to overall wellbeing.
The great news is that anyone can learn and apply this formula to feel good and function well. None of what I am sharing here is rocket science and neither does it need to cost a lot of money.
Why is it so important?
Despite all our social and technological advances over the past few decades we’re seeing an increase in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety in New Zealand and right across the developed world. Just this week I read the latest Business NZ/Southern Cross Wellness in the Workplace Survey which identified increasing levels of stress and anxiety.
What are the costs of mental health challenges to the people involved? To families? To workplaces? To our society as a whole?
For a fully functioning society, we need to enable as many people as possible to thrive.
And thankfully there is an increasing focus on the importance of this – schools and workplaces are starting to include a wellbeing focus, realising that without this basic foundation, kids can’t learn and people can’t work and contribute!
What are the elements of wellbeing?
Different models of wellbeing exist, but the one I like to use is based on Martin Seligman’s PERMA model with some extra bits added on. Martin Seligman is known as the father of positive psychology, which is the psychology of flourishing.
Here are the 9 elements (all backed up by science) that we need to ensure we include in our lives:
P Positive emotion – things that make you feel good, happy, joyful. Do more of what you enjoy.
E Engagement – do activities that involve an optimal level of concentration. Not too little (boredom, disengagement) and not too much (stress, pressure). At its most beneficial this is getting into “flow” where you lose yourself in the moment, a feeling of being absorbed in what you’re doing.
R Relationships – POSITIVE relationships. Spend more time around people that boost you and make you feel good and less time around those who don’t. Give to others.
M Meaning – find things in your life that are meaningful to you. This is totally individual. Don’t rely on finding meaning or purpose in one thing only (that’s a lot of pressure to put on finding that one “perfect” thing, when in reality there may be many things you find meaningful).
A Accomplishment – do things that stretch and challenge you and that give you a sense of satisfaction. This could involve learning and growth and/or it could involve creating and completing things.
Then we add:
V Vitality – put simply you need to eat well, get good sleep and move your body. This is the physical foundation of wellbeing, without which you’ll find it difficult to have enough energy and motivation to incorporate the other elements. When people think of wellbeing, this is often what comes to mind and of course it is important, but as you can now see, it is by no means the be-all and end-all.
S Strengths – find out what comes naturally to you (and gives you energy) and build on this. There are many different profiling tools you can use for this. The one I love and use with my clients is Strengths Profile.
G Gratitude – incredibly, the more you can find to be grateful for, the more you can find to be grateful for! A conscious daily gratitude practice either in your head or on paper is scientifically proven to have far-reaching long-term positive benefits.
M Mindfulness – a focus on being in the present moment.
An activity that ticks several of these wellbeing boxes at once is a good activity.
One that ticks ALL the boxes at once – that’s a total keeper! If you are struggling to know what makes you engage all (or any) of these, email me: kirsten@clearchange.co.nz. Knowing how to feel good and function well can be life-changing!