Are you here to provide feedback? Thank you! This is an emerging model of wellbeing, and your input and comment is invited. Please follow this survey link to tell me what you like about the model, what you think might be missing and any further ideas, input or interests you may want to share. Thank you for helping me to refine and advance this important work.
Wellbeing, what is it?
It is a broad-reaching concept that is both a universal experience and unique to the person experiencing it. There is no one type, way or experience of wellbeing.
Everyone will describe it differently, and we all have ideas of how we work to maintain and grow our wellbeing. Wellbeing exists along a range of experiences, from flourishing, where one is feeling good and functioning well through, to languishing, where you may feel less capable and perhaps more overwhelmed in daily life. Many things influence our wellbeing; these include our genetics, our life circumstances and the environment in which we live.
We know that those who report having high wellbeing (however they may define that) talk of feeling happier, healthier, more productive, and better connected to others. That is something that most desire and all deserve. But riding high is not always possible; life is full of challenges and suffering, so your sense of wellbeing will dip and peak. Being well-resourced with energy, knowledge, skills, and healthy connections is essential for those tough times.
Growing awareness about the different elements of wellbeing can help us identify what is going well in our lives and what may need more focus and attention.
The good news is that there is some agreement about what wellbeing is and what thwarts and supports it.
Introducing The Model of Elemental Wellbeing (MEW), a comprehensive, holistic wellbeing model developed through an extensive research study combining lay and academic wellbeing knowledge.
Constructed by two interwoven aspects of wellbeing, The Elements and The Golden threads, each working together yet unique and influential in their own right. Let’s explore a little deeper.
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- The elements are the core components of wellbeing. They each stand alone as essential features but together form a holistic picture of wellbeing.
- The golden threads are the unifying principles, influencing and bringing all the elements to life. Depending on how the threads are functioning will determine if they thwart and support your wellbeing. Some of the threads are within your control, yet others are influenced heavily by the environment in which you live.
Like the chain on a bike, the wheels (the elements) are bought into action by the chain (the golden threads), and if the chain is running smoothly, so will one’s wellbeing. If the chain is damaged or a bit stuck and in need of some oil, it does not run smoothly, and this is the same for one’s sense of wellbeing; it may well be feeling a bit rough.
The Elements (depicted by wheels)
The Golden threads (depicted by arrows)
To learn more about the models detail and development watch this 20 minute presentation I gave at the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) 2023 World Congress in Vancouver, Canada.