Well-being: The intersection of health, happiness, and comfort in regard to one’s state of being.
I consider myself a generally happy person, but I have never really taken the time to examine why that is. Through this exercise, I was struck by how much quality relationships and finding meaning in life contribute to one’s overall state of happiness. I also loved happify’s point that happiness is not dependent on feeling amazing about yourself one hundred percent of the time, something I constantly struggle with. Before my research and reflection, I mainly saw physical well-being encompassing having good health because of exercise and nutrition, but I now recognize how much conflict in one’s relationships can play into having a short life span and poor health. As a result of some research and my own self reflection here are my 5 dimensions of well-being:
1. Quality Relationships
This dimension is most important in my life because I have grown up in an extremely close-knit family. Through these bonds, I have developed empathy, the ability to listen to others, and communication skills. I also have had the privilege of having two extremely close high school friends along with some close college friends. I find myself enjoying group hangouts, but in reality I look forward to the times when I can meet up with someone one-on-one to truly get to know them. My close relationships give me comfort, support, and the ability to pause from my day and have fun. As an extrovert, I gain most of my stimulation from being social, so I love spending time with my friends and family, especially if I want to improve my mood.
2. Resiliency
Although I am definitely not perfect with this, I think this tenet is crucial to living a fulfilling life because adversity in life is inevitable. Failure is going to happen and has happened for me, so I believe developing the ability to bounce back from challenges ultimately makes you a stronger person. Adaptability is key to find comfort in my life even when things are not always going exactly the way I want them or plan them to happen.
3. Physical Health
This dimension directly effects my ability to be mindful and emotionally stable because by exercising and eating nutritiously my mindset instantly improves. After a workout or frisbee game, I usually feel somewhat euphoric because of all the endorphins I have released through physical movement. Eating healthy also improves my well-being because I recognize how important it is to keep track of what you put into your body because that effects your physical form and mental state. I never feel good after eating three cookies for dessert.
4. Connecting with my environment
The space I situate myself in, the people I surround myself with and the physical elements of a space like lighting and sound, impacts my well-being. For instance, when it gets nicer outside I find that I am much more productive because I can do my work outside because I love natural sounds, the calming breeze, and the sun providing natural light. In the winter, I frequently choose to study in the Wellness Center because of its large windows and natural sounds (its waterfall wall) because it mimics that vibe, and I feel less confined and depressed than a room with barely any windows and dark walls. The environment I choose to be in effects how comfortable and happy I feel in the moment.
5. Mindfulness
This final dimension plays a major role in my well-being because it pushes me to pause during the hustle and bustle of the day. Over the summer, I was consistently writing in my gratitude journal because it helped center me when I was often feeling homesick and did not have many friends where I was living. I hope to get back into this practice after a semester of rarely doing it because it is so important to remind myself why I am lucky each day to put my situation in perspective. This dimension also plays into self-care which I take extremely seriously through meditation, exercise, taking breaks from studying with friends, and getting enough sleep every night. Also, mindfulness stresses being nonjudgemental to yourself, helping me build my self-confidence by learning to cheer myself on than be my own harsh self-critic. Therefore, mindfulness helps me maintain a stable emotional well-being because I try to treat my self with love and respect.