Obtaining the right balance of wellbeing has been of concern to mankind since the days of Aristotle. There are many individuals who would actually define it as the essence of mankind. Within the last decade, this subject has moved from being one of philosophy to one of science. The amount of research into what determines the quality of a person’s life experiences has been growing. This has imbued researchers with a newfound knowledge of what constitutes and influences wellbeing.
It should be noted that this topic is certainly a subjective one, but most individuals agree that in addition to experiencing good feelings, an individual also needs to have the following:
- An accurate sense of individual vitality
- The ability to engage in activities that have meaning and that provide them with a sense of autonomy and competence
- A wealth of inner resources that can assist them in coping with situations in which things do not go their way and to be resilient to these types of changes
Another crucial element of wellbeing is that an individual be able to feel a sense of connectedness to other humans. Social experiences contribute a significant amount to a person’s overall sense of being and self. Social experiences can be defined as the degree to which a person has supportive relationships.
There continues to be a debate in the world of academia regarding the exact definition of this topic, but it is not necessary to hone in on the fine points here. Each of the aforementioned elements enables an individual to feel as though their lives are on track, but the importance of each element will vary as the circumstances of a person’s life change and evolve.
It is certainly a dynamic topic and if an individual possesses high levels of personal wellbeing, then he or she will be better able to respond to difficult life circumstances. Moreover, they will be able to constructively engage and interact with those around them in a more innovative manner. A person who actively strives to achieve and maintain wellbeing in their lives is going to be engaging in an effective course of action that will produce better outcomes in many different facets of their lives. It is an outcome that many people spend their entire lives pursuing.
For a number of individuals, achieving wellbeing is the ultimate goal of human life.
