Wellness, Well-being and Health.

Three terms that perhaps mean different things to different people. So it is important to state what being "well" means to us. 
 
Wellness is described by the National Wellness Institute (US) as an active process by which people gain awareness of, and make choice to a successful existence. This covers all aspects of our lives including our physical, emotional, spiritual and mental states and our personal and professional relationships at home and at work.  
 
Well-being is more than just being happy and content in the moment. The New Economics Foundation define it as “how people feel and function... on a personal and social level and how they evaluate their lives as a whole”.
 
The concept of being well is fundamental to our health.  Indeed, in 1946 the WHO defined health in terms of “the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing” although it is well recognised that this is a dynamic state and reflects our capacity to cope with the demands we experience. 
 
The situations we find ourselves in will have a significant impact on our overall wellbeing. Living in a safe environment with a sense of freedom and being able to live with autonomy are significant elements of the environmental determinant of health. The individual determinants of health include the social, mental and physical also play a role in our capacity to cope. Well-being has long been a focus of academic research and five key elements are involved in our individual ability to flourish and include our positive emotions, being engaged, our relationships having a sense of meaning and accomplishment. 
 
At Reciprocal Minds we consider that being “well” enables you to make an active participation in your personal and professional lives so that you are able to flourish, whatever the demands of your health condition. 

Sources
Bauer et al., (2006). Health Promotion International. 21, 153-159.
Bircher, J. (2005). Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy. 8, 335-341.
National Wellness Institute. https://nationalwellness.org/resources/six-dimensions-of-wellness/
New Economics Foundation. https://neweconomics.org
Seligman, M. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and wellbeing. New York: Simon & Schuster

Blog Q320/1

Photo by Deniz Altindas on Unsplash