Wellbeing is not just the absence of disease or illness. It is a complex combination of a person’s physical, mental, emotional, cultural, economic, spiritual and social health factors. Wellbeing could be described as how you feel about yourself and your life. Wellbeing relates to how well people’s needs are met and how satisfied and fulfilled they are. Wellbeing is related to the quality of life.it can be measured by the ability people have to cope with and adjust to change, their self-esteem, self-confidence and peer acceptance. Wellbeing refers to the welfare of an individual or group and is affected by a variety of factors, including spiritual, physical, emotional, economics, cultural and social.
Wellbeing can be measured in four ways:
Ability to adjust and manage change
Level of self-confidence
Self-esteem
Peer acceptance
Factors of wellbeing (SPEECS)
Spiritual
Ideals, morals, ethics
Aspirations
Awareness of oneself
Connectedness
Purpose in life
Understanding religious principles
Identifying right from wrong
Physical
Food and water
Clothing
Shelter
Access to health services
Living conditions
Regular physical activity
Emotional
Related to feelings
Attachment and bonding
Love and affection
Sense of belonging
Security and stability
Self -mage and confidence
Economics
Job stability
Sufficient income to participate in society
Access to economic support ed. Welfare
Employment opportunities
Work satisfaction
Bank accounts
Cultural
Focus on customs, beliefs, values and traditions
Opportunities to maintain cultural heritage
Teaching and developing customs, beliefs and values
Traditions of families and communities
Involvement in cultural activities
Social
Healthy interpersonal relationships eg. Family, peers, workplace
Emotional support
Sense of belonging
Safety and security
The inter-related nature of the wellbeing factors is illustrated in the following example. A person who loses their job (economic factor) may have a lowered self-esteem