‘Adulting’ as we call it seems to be far more complex than what we think of it. Since the moment we started taking on adult responsibilities, there’s not a single day that we haven’t felt anxious, doubtful, and uncertain of what the future holds. Yet, despite our fear of the unknown, we are still driven to continue living because our life is too short to worry about things we have no control of.

And so, in our effort of wanting to keep our well-being intact in this world full of ‘what ifs’, we engage ourselves in various personal and social endeavors. We socialize, we work, we indulge in pleasurable activities, we take risks – all because we think these can make us happy and satisfied in life.

About Well-Being

You may have heard already about what well-being is and how important it is for each person to achieve a state of well-being. Although the concept of well-being cannot be fully explained in just one definition, many believed, however, that our state of well-being is influenced by every aspect of our lives. Our physical, mental, emotional, and social attributes are the factors that influence well-being. Simply put, well-being refers to how we feel about ourselves, and how we’re doing as individuals and as members of the larger community.

Although well-being is important, it is also something that is elusive. Sometimes, we still feel empty and down even if we got everything we needed. This is so because the factors that influence our well-being are interrelated. One cannot make sense without the others. For instance, even if some people are living a luxurious lifestyle, one cannot say, however, that they are completely happy. Indeed, money is not the ultimate key to well-rounded happiness.

Essential Factors Affecting A Person’s Well-Being

Physical Well-Being

The overwhelming demands of daily life can make us reach our physical limits. When we’re so preoccupied with everything that’s going on with our busy lives, we often forget that we don’t live just to work – we work, so we can live! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with working hard, pushing ourselves to our limits, so we can achieve our life goals. But given our biological composition, we are vulnerable to getting sick, and even if our mind is invincible, our body however is not.  

Lack of sleep and exercise, and poor diet all affect our physical well-being. They can directly impact our productivity and efficiency at work, as well as stripping us of our capacity to perform our personal and social obligations. So, make sure that you do regular exercise and eat food with high nutritional value to keep your body functioning and healthy. Of course, get a good night’s sleep because having enough sleep is all that it takes to rejuvenate both your mind and body from all the stressful events in your life.  

Emotional Well-Being

Emotional stability is equally important with physical well-being when maintaining a healthy and engaged self. Having healthy self-esteem, an optimistic outlook, realistic and achievable goals, and a sense of purpose and meaning all contribute to a person’s emotional well-being.

In fact, in workplaces, emotional fulfillment is seen to greatly influence productivity among workers. A recent study found that happy employees are 20% more productive than unhappy ones. This has made employee happiness become imperative for businesses to thrive.

Social Well-Being

A study shows that loneliness is linked to a lower quality of physical and emotional health. People become less creative when they feel unappreciated and disrespected. Having a network of close friends, a happy and intimate relationship with a partner, an enjoyable and fulfilling career, doing fun hobbies and leisure pursuits with friends can have a positive effect on a person’s productivity and drive. Make sure to connect with others and cultivate genuine friendship with people as this will ensure that you’re living in a place where you can say ‘I belong’. After all, we live not just for ourselves, but for others as well.

Financial Well-Being

Many of us believed that one sure way of becoming happy is to have enough money. But there are also those who believed that money is not the only source of happiness. Although each belief has its own merit, one truth remains – the lack of finances can cause stress to many people.

The financial burden can affect our quality of life for the lack of money can be an obstacle in achieving happiness. Money can boost a person’s well-being because having enough of it increases social status and improves living conditions. However, just be reminded that the amount in your bank account doesn’t fully guarantee you a satisfying life. Spend your money wisely on leisure activities that can bring you genuine happiness, and use it to foster relationships with family and friends.

Improving our well-being is an endeavour that all of us must aim for, now and for the future. Taking into serious consideration the essential factors affecting our well-being can save us from becoming the exact opposite of what a well-rounded person should be. Life is precious, and it is a gift, and so, let’s choose wisely how we are going to live it.