Wellness is a buzzword often used to describe a healthy lifestyle. It is, of course, the result of good habits and relationships, but not the only one. So, to ensure the well-being necessary for a happy life, we need to take care of all its components, the seven pillars. We explain what well-being is and how to achieve mental well-being for a better life.
Well-being – what does it mean?
The literal translation of the English word wellbeing means both physical and mental well-being. It refers not only to the state of satisfaction of the body’s basic needs in terms of good nutrition, physical activity, rest and sleep. It is also the result of effective life management and the creation of situations that provide satisfaction and motivation for action.
The „father” of the wellness movement is considered to be Dr. Halbert Dunn, who introduced his concept in the form of a series of lectures in the late 1950s. It only developed two decades later, when it reached a wider audience thanks to the work of later researchers. Although more than half a century has passed since then, the idea of well-being has never been better or more necessary than it is today.
What is well-being?
Well-being as such is a complex issue, as certain conditions, also known as pillars, are required to experience it. Well-being is made up of 7 fundamental pillars, the first of which – mental well-being – is often seen as a combination of emotional and intellectual well-being (we describe these separately here):
- Emotional well-being – recognizing, understanding and respecting one’s own feelings, values and positions, appreciating the feelings of others, managing emotions constructively and maintaining a positive, enthusiastic approach to life.
- Intellectual well-being – developing knowledge and skills, curiosity, a positive attitude to intellectual challenges, discovering one’s own potential and sharing it with others.
- Physical well-being – includes a series of behaviors and habits for bodily health, such as good nutrition, movement, sleep, as well as those related to sexual health and the use of stimulants. It also involves acquiring knowledge about health risks and disease prevention.
- Social well-being is about healthy interactions and relationships with others, in particular building a support network among family members, friends, colleagues and professionals.
- Financial well-being – achieving and maintaining the right balance between financial goals and commitments.
- Spiritual well-being – using individual beliefs, principles and values to give life the right direction, seeking and finding its meaning and purpose.
- Professional well-being – acquiring and improving skills and abilities to achieve job satisfaction and development.
- environmental well-being – the positive impact of the environment on a person’s sense of well-being, through communing with nature, adopting sustainable practices in the use of its resources, and using it to improve health and mood.