Health and well-being are buzzwords that have never been more prevalent than they are today. These words are often used together and have become fairly synonymous over time. Are health and well-being the same thing? If not, how do they intersect, and what are the foundations for good health and well-being? Let’s unpack the details below.
What is Health?
When looking for definitions of health and wellbeing, health is considered a state of being, where both mental and physical elements of the individual are without disease or injury. Physical health refers to living in a body that is capable, strong, and free of illness. Mental health refers to those same things, but in context of the mind. When you are mentally healthy, you are able to navigate life successfully, managing setbacks without debilitating stress or sadness. Together, mental and physical health influence all aspects of your life. In recent years, broadening definitions of health have contributed to this inclusion of better understanding mental health, and the recognition of public mental health as something integral to public health overall.
What is Well-Being?
Firstly, the concept of well-being sits outside the medical model of health. This is because to be with or without well-being is not considered a diagnosis. Well-being can be broadly defined as the maintenance of physical, mental and emotional stability and balance: feeling good and functioning well, rather than simply being free of illness. Identifying a state of physical and mental well-being points to the many varied subjective elements that are at play in individuals. For this reason, it is broadly accepted that there is both objective and subjective well-being.
Objective well-being is usually based on measurable human needs and rights, such as physical health, education, safety and food security. Subjective well-being – also called personal well-being – is measured by an individual’s report of aspects of their life, such as their emotional state, life satisfaction, and meaningfulness of their life.
How do Well-Being and Health Affect Each Other?
Health and well-being are intricately connected and are hard to separate when determining cause and effect. When physical and mental well-being suffers, it can negatively affect health, and vice versa. For example, stress can impede well-being, which in turn may increase your risk of chronic illness – poor physical health. Conversely, the presence of physical illness may negatively affect your overall well-being, even contributing to mental illness such as anxiety or depression. Again, the reverse can also be true: depression may cause physical symptoms in some people, such as a change in weight, gastrointestinal issues, or sexual dysfunction. The bottom line? It is impossible to maintain peak physical and mental health when well-being is suffering, and vice versa.
5 Quick Tips to Improve Health & Well-Being
The New Economics Foundation (NEF) developed the “Five Ways to Well-being” framework in 2008. This set of evidence-based actions to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the whole population is broadly recognized by governments and organizations and used in many different applications promoting good health and well-being.
The five instructions included in this framework are:
Be active: This includes participating in physical activities around you or finding a method of moving you like enough to practice daily or regularly.
Take notice: Being aware of what happens around you and engaging all your senses helps you to feel present. Trying something new each day can help to keep you stimulated and more likely to focus on the current moment, rather than ruminating about the past or future.
Give: Identifying those who need support, offering love and care where you can, and treating others with respect can enhance personal feelings of well-being.
Keep learning: Having a growth mind-set fosters curiosity and positive feelings. Do your best to learn something new each day, staying informed, emulating mentors and enquiring about and learning from the experiences of others around you.
Connect: As social creatures, we need to prioritize interaction with others. This could include nurturing deep relationships with friends and family, joining social clubs, as well as seizing the opportunity for positive interactions with new people, even in passing.
More than simply just “nice to have”, good health and well-being are essential elements for personal fulfilment and human functioning. A foundation of mental and physical wellness contributes positively to every area of your life, promoting stability and resilience. Growing your understanding of both physical and mental well-being and health can help you learn to generate more of it in your life.