In this essay, I will describe in my own words my interpretation of the five ways to wellbeing, and how this strategy can help someone to think and behave differently. I will then go on to explore some of the limitations it has in improving health and wellbeing. I will enhance my findings by using examples from the K118 course material. The five ways to wellbeing is a strategy which consists of five key messages set out by the New Economics Foundation, namely Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Learning and Give (The Open University 2014a). To “Connect” is to spend time and build relationships with the people around you - most importantly friends and family, but also neighbours and acquaintances like the person you see daily but don’t …show more content…
“Although the ‘5 ways to wellbeing’ is intended to be a public mental health promotion message it has so far gathered little public knowledge or recognition.” (Roberts et al., 2013). This means that so far there has been limited success for the strategy, and what success it has had in relation to affecting the health and wellbeing will be difficult to measure. Because the general public do not know much about it, researchers will find it tough to monitor how successful the strategy is, and whether or not the changes in behaviour it is suggesting through the messages are indeed having any impact on improving health and wellbeing. Another point which the lack of general knowledge will cause is for someone with low self-esteem who discovers the strategy, implementing the changes suggested may be very difficult for them in the short term particularly if the behaviours are a lot different from what they do at present. Due to worry about no one knowing why they have changed their behaviour, or fear of the unknown because they may not know anyone else who has followed the guidelines they may decide not to bother trying in the first place. From a personal point of view, I had never heard of the strategy until I began studying …show more content…
This strategy does have its limitations in improving general health and wellbeing however, as it does not take into consideration the personal circumstances of a person and ultimately it has no influence over external factors like poverty and stress which also has an impact on health and wellbeing, and also because it is not well known enough yet it is difficult to assess how much of an impact it has had on affecting health and
Myers, J. E., & Sweeney, T. J. (2008). Wellness counseling: The evidence base for practice. Journal of Counseling and Development : JCD, 86(4), 482-493. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/219029297?accountid=27965
Fain, N. C. & Lewis. N. M. (2002). Wellness: The Holistic Approach to Health. Journal of
Also the essay will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each approach as this can be an indicator if this approach is applied, whether it can address inequality and improve the health and well being of that individual or society. The essay will use the Dahlgren and Whitehead social determinants of health of need to exemplify the determinants of health showing how these determinants can influence the way health is viewed as holistic or merely an absence of disease. Lastly, the essay will analyse the evaluation with these approaches plus the importance of evaluation to present programs and future programs or activity.
Positive psychology utilizes five pillars in order to flourish, achieve fulfillment, and satisfaction in life: Positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA). The five mainstays of positive psychology are not intended to be means to some other end; these foundations are selected for their own value in personal efforts to flourish, and are fundamental to human well-being. Positive psychology describes the “good life” as being pleasant, engaging, meaningful, and full of achievements and connections. Seligman proposes positive subjective experiences illicit and promote positive emotions. Positive psychology distinguishes two types of happiness that can be derived from experiences and events: Hedonic and eudemonic happines...
Works Cited • www.mentalhealth.org.uk • www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov • www.rethink.org.uk • www.psychologytoday.com www.hope-health-recovery.org.uk - www.hope-health- • www.nami.org.uk
Well-being is a combination of physical, mental, emotional and social factors. It is seen, as a stable state of being satisfied with one’s self and their life that doesn’t fluctuate due to a single even, person, or feeling (Begley and Begun, 2000). Well-being consists of eight dimensions, emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual (Begley and Begun, 2000). For the purpose of this study we are going to be looking at the emotional and occupational sides of well-being. Emotional state of well being is the ability to recognize, understand and express a full range of emotions and channel our emotions into healthy behaviours that satisfy our personal and social goals (Ryff, 1985). Occupational is achieving personal satisfaction and enrichment in one’s life through work, education, and personal goals and passions (Ryff, 1985).
Positive health looks at what aspects of health are there and which ones make us healthy.
In society today, there is an extensive range of definitions of health and wellbeing which can be seen as both positive and negative. A Holistic view can also be identified and defined. These definitions of health have changed over time and will carry on changing within the future. According to where a family lives or their social class everyone will have different meanings and views of health and wellbeing. This may be due to what one person perceives as being healthy as another person may not. Channel 4 learning (no date) describes that a positive view of health can be seen as when a person is more likely to achieve and sustain physical fitness from exercising and are mentally stable. Therefor a negative view can be described when a person is free from illness, disease, mental distress or anything which may be a symptom of not having good health. The holistic view of health sees the person as a whole instead of just directing at one area and therefore combines physical, social, intellectual and emotional factors together. Consequently, if a person has emotional difficulties such as how they interact with other people or how they may feel but are physically fit and free from illness does not mean that they are healthy overall as one factor has difficulties. It is also vital to consider the two main theoretical concepts known as the medical and social model of health. Polity books (no date) describes that the medical model views health in terms of disease, diagnosis and then treatment and very much views a body to be separate from psychological processes. Causes of ill-health within the body are seen to require expert interference from a doctor to provide treatment to prevent or kill of an illness within the body. The Social model...
In the United States 20% of the adult population report that they are living a flourishing life (Keyes, 2002). However, a high percentage reports feeling as if they are ‘‘stuck’’ or ‘‘want more’’ and are yet not diagnosable with a mental disorder (Fredrickson, 2008). Because happiness has been found to be the source of many desirable life outcomes e.g. career success, marriage, and health, it is of importance to understand, how languishing individuals can reach this ideal state: How can well-being be enhanced and misery reduced (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). Over the past decade, research in the field of positive psychology has emerged to provide evidence-based methods to increase an individual’s psychological well-being, through so called positive psychology interventions (PPI’s). PPI’s are treatment methods or intentional activities used to promote positive feelings or behaviour. PPI’s vary from writing gratitude letters, practicing optimistic thinking and replaying positive experiences. A meta-analysis of 51 independent PPI studies demonstrated significant results in the effectiveness of PPI’s increasing well-being (49 studies; r = .29) (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).
The five principles of HP include building healthy public policy, creating supportive environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills, and reorienting health services (McMurray & Clendon 2015). The first principle aims to incorporate health into all public policy decisions beyond the health system so that living and working conditions become conducive to health and equity (Germov, Freij & Richmond 2015). According to McMurray & Clendon (2015), multi-sectoral collaboration is required among different sectors, such as education, industry and social welfare, with the reciprocally influential policies that guide the community health. The second principle emphasises the socio-ecological approach to health that promotes sustainable environment and broader social support systems that encourage a safe and satisfying life (Germov, Freij & Richmond 2015; McMurray & Clendon 2015). This principle requires to acknowledge the significance of conserving the physical or social resources that allow people to maintain health (McMurray & Clendon 2015). The third principle focuses on information and learning opportunities that enable communities to make knowledgeable choices for better health (McMurray & Clendon
Physical, emotional, intellectual, interpersonal, spiritual, and environmental wellness are all considered the six dimensions of wellness with occupational wellness being the possible seventh. But what are these exactly? And how do they apply to me and my health and wellness?
All of the theories/concepts discussed in this paper have helped to change the course of my life in a very positive way. Being mindful has taught me to be more open to new experiences and points of view; being religious helped me cope with many negative situations in my life; using Fredrickson’s undoing hypothesis taught me how to think positive in negative situations; having flow taught me how to be more focused; having time affluence taught me how to value the more important things in life over money; and having hope keeps my spirit up and prevents me from giving up on my goals. All these concepts/theories are very important towards positive living and they have definitely helped me deal with many situations in a more positive manner.
...chological well-being (including as identified in this report, the value of need-based goal setting), will provide, as suggested by Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000, p. 5), protection against mental illness, empowering individuals, families, communities and societies to prosper. Myers and Diener (1996, p. 72) add that researching the habits of happy people may suggest how we can modify our behaviour to improve happiness. This in turn will help people to achieve the maximum satisfaction that they can from their own particular circumstances. In addition, as the body of empirical evidence grows in support of this positive psychology, the focus can once again, (as Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) intend it should), return to the two objectives previously abandoned by psychology, namely fostering excellence and making ordinary people more resilient and productive.
Wellness is defined as “an active life-long process of becoming aware of and making choices to achieve optimal health and a more successful and balanced existence” (Ren et al., 2007). Wellness incorporates the spiritual, emotional and social wellbeing of an individual. When it came to thinking, planning and developing my SMART goal I decided to focus on my physical health as this was an area that I needed to improve the most and would also contribute positively to my spiritual, emotional, social, intellectual and environmental wellbeing aswell. In this reflective essay I will discuss and reflect on this journey. This reflection will include why I decided to focus on this specific SMART goal aswell as how I found the SMART goal journey. I will then discuss my own view on my attitudes for health and wellness and will discuss what a SMART goal is and the importance of them in order to start working towards those goals and to positively change behaviours and habits. This reflection will also include challenges that may be experienced in relation to behaviour change. These may include time management and motivation.
According to the text, wellness is defined as an "integrated and dynamic level of functioning oriented toward maximizing potential, dependent on self-responsibility." It involves both preventive health behaviors and a shift in thinking and attitude. Wellness is a lifelong promise to oneself of growth and achievement in each of the seven dimensions: emotional, spiritual, physical, occupational, intellectual, environmental, and social. It means a lifetime of ongoing change and always striving toward higher levels healthy and successful living. This means, ultimately, that one must live a life that caters to each of those dimensions both individually and collectively. Not living a healthy lifestyle, can have damaging effects on both health and life, and not only yours but the people that are around you. An unhealthy lifestyle means more illness and more expenses to treat those illnesses. This means a bigger burden on an already challenged and over-budgeted healthcare system. Poor health also means more time lost at work, less quality recreational time, and shorter lifespans. Not to mention, the onset of major chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.