What is Well-Being and Why Does it Matter?
Our well-being is one of the most important elements of our personal lives, but the phrase has been used so rampantly in recent years that is has become a buzzword, quickly losing its true meaning in the midst of mixed messages about what it is and why it matters. This blog, inspired by an article by The Center for Healthy Minds, will clear up confusion about the term and teach you how to enhance your own well-being for the rest of your life.
There are four core elements of a person’s well-being: connection, insight, awareness, and purpose. Each of these is important in its own rite, yet ultimately it is the combination of all the elements at once that will form the key to optimal well-being.
First up, connection has to do with how we feel towards others, and what our relationships with other people look like. This can include everything from showing appreciation towards people in your life to acknowledging differences between us. When we first meet a new person, it often looks like finding mutual shared interests or values that will create an initial point of connection.
Without a solid connection – or even a positive one – we can become apathetic or disinterested, resulting in our own social isolation. In fact, some researchers agree that our relationships with others can better predict our overall health than the often-used physical or economical factors.
The way to practice good connections is simple: spend intentional time every day looking at the positive aspects of another person. The more you can practice doing this in solitude, the more you will notice the good in day-to-day life and interactions, thereby increasing your connection points with others.
The next important element, insight, points us inward at how we are feeling inside of ourselves. Having good personal insight helps us acknowledge negative and anxious thoughts, including what we believe about ourselves. The goal is to move from negative self-belief to accepting, growth-oriented beliefs that challenge the assumptions we can so easily make.
Simply put, the way to practice insight is to take a moment and acknowledge your beliefs about yourself in any given situation, then challenge the negative thoughts to see them in a different light. This is not to say that we do not have room for improvement; however, seeing our shortcomings as opportunities for growth instead of inherent failure will lead to better well-being.
Awareness is practicing intuition about what you are thinking, paying attention to both internal and external factors that are influencing these thoughts. It is the foundation to positive well-being, for if we are not in tune with our thoughts, then we will fail to understand why we are acting in a specific way, or why we feel a certain way about things. Being aware is simply to notice your thoughts and sensations as they come up – a practice we love around here called mindfulness! – and preventing distractions in the meantime.
How can you become more aware? First, close your eyes. Then take 10 deep breaths. Notice how you feel, what thoughts come up, and what you experience through slow, intentional breathing. Continue in this practice so that your awareness will increase in your daily life, outside of when you are specifically practicing it.
Finally, purpose is defined as “being clear about your core values and deeper motivation and being able to apply them in your daily life.” (The Center for Healthy Minds) When you can connect simple, seemingly mundane activities with a deeper meaning, your purpose will continue to grow and your well-being will improve as a result.
For example, if you find yourself resenting the 10th load of dirty laundry that you are processing in one week, remember why you are in this position. You might have a family you love, and a full house. You want to take care of them, and this is one simple way to show you care. You may be taking the burden off your partner or another household member, freeing them up for activities meaningful to them. By taking the focus off your current feelings and situation and moving to a deeper purpose, your entire perspective can shift as a result.
So how can you connect deeper with your purpose? The above paragraph is a perfect example! In any challenging or frustrating situation, no matter how big or small, acknowledge your feelings and find the reason why you are doing what you are doing. Your long-term mental – and even physical – health will blossom as a result.
Achieving lasting, positive well-being is a lifelong process, and we will always have areas to learn and grow. By practicing these four key elements throughout your day, you will move from negative beliefs about yourself and others to connecting everything you say and do to a deeper purpose, taking full advantage of your mindfulness practices in the meantime. And what could be better than that?
Mindfully yours,
DrPamm
