What is wellbeing?

What is wellbeing?

The concept of wellbeing has intrigued humanity for thousands of years. From its ancient origins to its contemporary applications, the understanding of wellbeing has evolved over time, shaped by philosophical, cultural and scientific developments. Historically, wellbeing was often equated with physical health and the absence of disease. The concept of wellbeing has evolved significantly over the past few decades, undergoing a significant shift, partly due to advancements in positive psychology, holistic health approaches, economic and social research, cultural shifts and global challenges.

But, the question remains, what actually is wellbeing?

Wellbeing remains a nebulous term, largely due to the interpretation of wellbeing being so inherently subjective – how you feel about your life largely depends on the way you see it which is likely why a clear definition and conceptualisation of wellbeing across disciplines remains elusive.

Definitions vary, and as Hone and colleagues stated, “although several researchers and research teams have developed theoretical, conceptual and operational models of wellbeing, and there is general agreement that wellbeing is a multi-dimensional concept, that is where the consensus ends”

The Cambridge Dictionary simplifies the definition of the noun ‘wellbeing’ to:

‘. . .the state of feeling healthy and happy’

While this definition is straightforward, it reveals some challenges. Specifically, it suggests that health is a crucial component of wellbeing by including the term ‘healthy’. This assumption is also evident in the World Health Organisation's (WHO) definition of health; “not merely as the absence of disease but as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing" (WHO, 2006).

At first glance, health and wellbeing seem to be synonymous and very often health and wellbeing are often grouped together in advertising products, interventions, job role titles and in describing populations. However, the Cambridge definition implies that a person does not need to be completely healthy to experience wellbeing. Instead, it depends on their feelings about their health. This illustrates the notion that wellbeing is subjective, based on an individual's perception of their condition.

Both health and wellbeing are latent concepts, they are not directly observable but are inferred from various indicators. Traditionally, we have recognised these concepts through their absence - poor health is evident when someone is ill, and a lack of wellbeing is noticeable when someone is unhappy or stressed.

To clarify the distinction between health and wellbeing, we can use a salutogenic approach. This approach, developed by Aaron Antonovsky, focuses on factors that promote human health and wellbeing, rather than on factors that cause disease. By emphasising resources and strategies that support health and wellbeing, the salutogenic approach helps to separate the two concepts. It highlights that wellbeing encompasses more than just physical; it includes mental, emotional, and social dimensions that contribute to an individual's overall sense of fulfillment and life satisfaction. It is perhaps the traditional, biomedical, pathogenic approach to health that separates it from wellbeing, which is broader.

By applying the salutogenic approach, this means that in practical terms someone with a chronic illness can still experience a high level of wellbeing if they have strong social support, a positive outlook and effective coping strategies. Conversely, a non-disabled person might have low wellbeing if they are socially isolated, stressed or unhappy. This broader perspective acknowledges that wellbeing is a complex, multidimensional construct that goes beyond the mere absence of disease. Our lives don’t exist in one dimension but as a complex, interconnected web of needs and desires, relationships and social pressures. Every aspect of your life influences your state of wellbeing. By reducing our focus to only one aspect at a time, we risk losing the bigger picture of wellbeing - and how one element can affect another.

Having a better understanding of the factors that contribute to wellbeing prompts the question; is wellbeing something you achieve, or is it an ongoing process, a state of being or is it an unattainable ideal?

From a certain perspective, wellbeing can be seen as an achievement, a goal that individuals strive for through deliberate actions and lifestyle choices. This viewpoint aligns with the Aristotelian notion of eudaimonia, which is often translated as 'flourishing' or 'the good life'. Aristotle argued that wellbeing is achieved by living a life of virtue and fulfilling one’s potential. In this sense, wellbeing is the result of a life lived in accordance with reason and moral virtues.

Contrary to the idea of wellbeing as an achievement, some philosophical traditions view it as a state of being that is intrinsic to human existence. For instance, in Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism, wellbeing is associated with inner peace and contentment, which arise from understanding the nature of the self and the impermanent nature of reality (Dalai Lama & Cutler, 2009). Here, wellbeing is not something to be achieved through external actions but discovered through introspection and mindfulness.

Similarly, the Stoics believed that true wellbeing, or eudaimonia, is achieved through inner tranquility and virtue, irrespective of external circumstances. According to Stoicism, wellbeing is a state of equanimity and acceptance, rooted in the understanding that one can control their responses to life’s challenges but not the challenges themselves (Epictetus, Enchiridion).

Another philosophical perspective suggests that wellbeing is neither a fixed state nor a final achievement but an ongoing process. This aligns with existentialist views, which emphasise the fluid and dynamic nature of human existence. Existentialist philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir argued that life is a continual process of becoming, where individuals create their meaning and purpose through their choices and actions (Sartre, 1946).

In this view, wellbeing is a continual process of navigating life’s complexities, making choices that align with one’s values, and finding meaning in one’s experiences. It is not a static goal but a journey marked by growth, change and adaptation.

Whether seen as a goal to be achieved through virtuous living, an intrinsic state discovered through mindfulness, an ongoing process of existential becoming, or an unattainable ideal that guides our actions, wellbeing remains a central concern of human existence. It challenges us to reflect on how we live our lives, make choices, and find meaning in our experiences.

When it comes to measuring wellbeing, this has proved a challenge for researchers. Angner et al (2009) studied 383 adults in the community, examining the relationship between subjective health (as assessed by the individual), objective health (as assessed by an objective measurement such as comorbidity count), and happiness (subjective wellbeing). They concluded that “medical conditions are associated with lower happiness scores only if they disrupt daily functioning or are associated with social stigma,” highlighting the notion that the suffering is often extraneous to an impairment.

Ultimately, wellbeing can be difficult to measure and difficult to understand.

“Whilst there are similarities in what wellbeing means to different population groups, nuances exist within every community. To ensure meaningful impact, policymakers should consider how the population groups they work with understand wellbeing.” - Sollis et al, 2022

This statement is critical. It’s not just about understanding what wellbeing is but understanding what it really means to the people you are working with. The key piece here is to understand what wellbeing means to disabled people. If policymakers are attempting to support or improve disabled people’s wellbeing, this means working with disabled people to understand the areas they need the most support with.