Well-being - a working definition
A program about 'engaging with life' needs to be clear about two things: what emotional well-being is; and how to develop it in young people.
One of the best definitions of emotional well-being comes from the Positive Psychology movement based on the work of Martin Seligman and others. It has five elements:
- positive emotions - good mood, the cornerstone of wellbeing theory
- engagement - focused attention, flow, being in your element
- meaning - belonging to and being part of something you believe is bigger than the self
- accomplishment - what humans choose to do for its own sake, mastery
- positive relationships - "doing a kindness produces the single most reliable momentary increase in well-being of any exercise we have tested"
From: Flourish Martin Seligman, Random House, 2011
Another definition of well-being based on an assessment of over 400 scientific papers on the subject, provides a set of five simple actions which can improve well-being in everyday life:
- connect - with people around you, family, friends, community. A cornerstone of your life - building these connections will support you and enrich you for life
- be active - go for a walk, step outside, dance, play sport. Humans are designed to move
- take notice - be curious, be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflect and appreciate what matters to you
- keep learning - try something new, do a course, learn an instrument, set a challenge. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun
- give - show kindness, generosity, gratitude. Seeing yourself and experiencing being linked to the wider community can be rewarding and promotes well-being.
From: New Economics Foundation, UK. http://www.neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-well-being
The avec program merges these two useful definitions of well-being with the Human Givens approach to emotional health and delivers:
Six steps to emotional well-being:
- Get Ready: sound preparation from better sleep
- Get Set: reduced expectations, raised awareness of the present
- Go For It: appropriate, purposeful, informed, action
- Celebrate: attention to emotional needs: connection, meaning, control etc
- Reflect: reflection routines: mindfulness, relaxation, gratitude, kindness
- Good Night: better sleep: maintaining the REM/restorative sleep balance
The avec projects provide an engaging, challenging, and exciting context for their development. Isn't this what you've been looking for?
Call 0432 374 285 now to find out more.
