What is well-being?
“Well-being” is a broad term that applies to individuals and communities.
Individually, it is an active process in which a person engages internal and external resources to cultivate important aspects of life, including…
The pursuit of well-being brings a sense of satisfaction, optimism, and connection to others.
You can’t make change if you can’t see what needs changing
Community well-being is a broader concept that is comprised of the well-being of the individual members, as well as characteristics of the community itself. A community that is striving toward well-being promotes equity, compassion, connection, and trust amongst its members.
With both individual and community, well-being is not just achieved by ignoring negative emotions or experiences in life, but instead, approaching life’s challenges with a mindset of growth, and actively cultivating positive emotions and experiences.
A Deeper Dive.
Theory and Research on Well-being
Our collective understanding of “well-being” is shaped by centuries of thought and research into the concepts of “hedonia” (the pursuit of individual pleasure, joy, and happiness), and “eudaimonia” (acting for the good of others).
Current research into well-being has been expanded into a broad field of study known as Positive Psychology, within which numerous theories have been proposed, each with a different perspective on the balance between well-being in the service of the self, or society.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define well-being as “the presence of positive emotions and moods (e.g., contentment, happiness), the absence of negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety), satisfaction with life, fulfillment and positive functioning.”
www.cdc.gov/hrqol/wellbeing.htm
Most major theories (below) hold that individual well-being requires a balance of focus on self and others, and that a person’s relationship to the social world around them plays a significant role in shaping well-being.