WTF is wellbeing?
Look, it’s another blog about wellbeing! But wait, before you slam your laptop shut and throw it across the room, give me a chance!
I’m just a girl, standing in front of my google doc, asking you to let me myth bust WTF wellbeing actually is.
This ain’t a self-help, how-to-manifest-yourself-out-of-everything-life-throws-at-you type of wellbeing blog. This is a cut-the-shit-and-tell-me-good-stuff kind of blog.
My offer to you is simple: stick around and I’ll share 3 things with you:
A simple and concise definition of wellbeing
How wellbeing is a multi-dimensional concept and can be impacted by many things
How to map your wellbeing to understand where you're at and where you need to be
Sounds good? Let’s go.
Whenever I ask a room full of people what wellbeing is, I get a lot of different answers. Many of us know what it is intuitively but we often struggle to put it into words.
So let’s get into this by starting with what wellbeing is not:
It’s not taking a bath
It’s not going on holiday
It’s not getting a massage
It’s not an overpriced latte or avo on toast
While these are all fabulous activities - in fact, all of these are my idea of the best weekend ever - wellbeing they are not. This is because wellbeing doesn’t just start and stop at the salon or on a flight, it’s rooted in so much more than that.
The truth is, there isn’t one single agreed upon definition for wellbeing, not in the same way that there is an aligned definition of say burnout - which is classified by 3 characteristics: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and decreased sense of accomplishment.
The official dictionary definition of wellbeing is too vague to be useful so our favourite comes from Mind - the mental health charity - who define wellbeing as:
“the ability to cope with the day-to-day stresses of life, work productively, interact positively with others and realise our own potential.”
To us, this means the ability to be our best selves as a result of having the energy to cope with the stresses of day-to-day work and life, with enough left in the tank for ourselves and our personal relationships.
Nowadays, it can feel like the conversation around wellbeing is pretty embedded, but actually its entry into the workplace is still a fairly new concept. Researchers suggest that it wasn’t until the 1980’s that more holistic approaches to workplace wellbeing started to take off, where we started to see psychological health being added to corporate wellness programmes. Before that, wellbeing in the workplace was all about health and safety - which wasn’t really about individual wellbeing at all - it was a cost-saving tool.
We’ve come a long way since then but the way we talk about wellbeing is still too narrow. Today we talk about wellbeing as something that is binary - it’s either physical or mental. The problem with this is that it fails to show the full breadth of what wellbeing encompasses. Because there are, in fact, 8 dimensions of wellbeing which could be impacting us positively or negatively at any given time and it’s vital that we’re aware of these if we’re going to be able to take action to improve things for ourselves.
So let’s take a look at these 8 types of wellbeing:
Physical wellbeing refers to the state of our physical health, including our ability to carry out daily activities without fatigue or illness. It includes factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, and avoiding risky behaviours like smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. Physical wellbeing is essential for overall health and can impact other aspects of wellbeing such as emotional and social wellbeing.
Emotional wellbeing is our ability to manage our emotions and cope with life's challenges. It includes being aware of and able to express emotions in a healthy way, building resilience, and maintaining positive relationships. Emotional wellbeing is crucial for maintaining mental health and can impact physical health, social relationships, and productivity.
Intellectual wellbeing refers to our cognitive abilities, including our capacity for learning, problem-solving, and creativity. We might experience positive intellectual wellbeing when we feel constructively challenged by our work or in our hobbies outside of work.
Occupational wellbeing is the satisfaction and fulfilment we experience from our work. It includes job satisfaction, career advancement, work-life balance, and financial stability. This can be closely linked to Intellectual wellbeing, for example you might be happy in your job because it’s challenging you. Conversely, your job might be impacting your Intellectual wellbeing negatively where, although you might feel it’s comfortable and stress free, you feel intellectually stifled because it’s no longer challenging you.
Environmental wellbeing relates to our relationship with our physical environment and our ability to live in a healthy, sustainable, and safe place. It includes factors such as access to clean water, air quality, green spaces, and transportation options. We might want to ask ourselves: Does our environment support our goals and how we need to work and live? Does our current surroundings give us energy and inspire us? Do we feel safe to be playful and have fun in our surroundings?
Social wellbeing refers to the quality and quantity of our social connections, including family, friends, and community. It encompasses factors such as social support, communication skills, and the ability to form and maintain relationships. If we want to check on our social wellbeing, we can ask ourselves: Are our friends and family supportive? Do our friends or family give energy or drain our energy? Are we making enough time for connection with our loved ones?
Financial wellbeing is our ability to manage our finances and achieve financial stability. It includes factors such as financial literacy, debt management, and savings habits. This isn’t just about salary - there are so many financial triggers which impact our wellbeing - such as an unexpected tax bill, securing a decent mortgage, or the broken boiler that costs a fortune. The more we can talk openly about our financial struggles, the more we can support each other and be empathetic of our colleagues and the context they’re working within.
Spiritual wellbeing refers to a person's sense of purpose, meaning, and connection to something greater than themselves. It includes factors such as personal values, beliefs, and religious or philosophical practices. Spiritual wellbeing can significantly impact our overall quality of life, regardless of whether we see ourselves as spiritual or not. This is because humans are hard-wired to find meaning in what we do and to feel like we’re contributing towards something bigger than ourselves. Studies show that a lack of purpose or meaning is a contributor to anxiety and depression.
We made it! We've covered the eight dimensions of wellbeing, all of which are super important for our overall quality of life. If we want to improve our wellbeing, we need to be aware of these eight factors and take action when we notice negative changes to any one of them. This might sound a little overwhelming so it’s important to remember that we can't expect to be perfect in all eight dimensions all the time, but by understanding which areas require our attention and continually reviewing our progress, we can make positive changes. Remember, small incremental changes can make a big difference.
We encourage you to take a quiet moment and use the wellbeing wheel to reflect on your own wellbeing and identify the areas where you can start making positive changes today. Let’s get to it!
If the challenge of balancing wellbeing and work resonates with you, follow The Future Kind Collective on LinkedIn and Instagram where we regularly share actionable tips and tricks for you to apply in your organisation.
