What is Wellbeing?

The Care Act that underpins Health and Social Care in the UK emphasises the need to promote positive wellbeing for those benefiting from the service and for those providing it. What does the term ‘wellbeing’ really mean though?

The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the state of being healthy, happy, or prosperous; physical, psychological, or moral welfare.”

It’s a broad definition because a person’s wellbeing is a complex structure, created from many individual building blocks. Each person’s structure will be different, sometimes vastly different, from the next person. This is because an individual’s wellbeing is defined by their own preferences and pleasures. It is important that each person is viewed and treated as an individual as this helps a person maintain a strong sense of personal identity. There is an adage that ‘one man’s castle can be another man’s cage’ and therefore one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to wellbeing.

We often break wellbeing down into five categories: physical, mental, financial, social and spiritual.

Physical wellbeing can be further broken down to an individual’s health and fitness. The better our physical health, the more positive we feel. Whereas ill health can limit our abilities to participate in things we enjoy, cause us anxiety or concern and lower self-esteem. Increased fitness allows us to participate in more activities without feeling fatigued and can create a more positive self-image. As we get older our bodies naturally become less physically fit and the likelihood of ill health increases. Positive physical health becomes relative but can be maintained or moderated through appropriate treatment and tailored activities. An important role of social care workers can be to assist with health treatments, medication and gentle exercise to promote more positive wellbeing.

We have an increasingly materialistic society many of whom often view positive financial wellbeing as being filthy rich. In truth, positive financial wellbeing can be achieved by having much more meagre amounts of income. The fabulously wealthy are not always blessed with positive wellbeing. For many, having enough income to cover the bills and not have to worry about debt is enough to achieve positive financial wellbeing. For those who are struggling to meet their financial overheads, it can cause a great deal of worry and can negatively impact wellbeing.  For many of the older generation, material goods are less important than family, health or social interaction. There are other ways to have a ‘rich’ life. In a world increasingly relying on technology it can sometimes be stressful for those who do not understand it. Social care workers can often help by assisting to pay online bills or other financial tasks.

Social wellbeing is building and maintaining healthy relationships and having meaningful interactions with others. Most people enjoy and need interaction with others to promote wellbeing. For some, this may be in a one-to-one setting like meeting a friend for a coffee. For some it’s a group outing to a pub or shared activity. As we get older and less mobile it can become harder to participate in activities we enjoy or maintain this social interaction. Often, in domiciliary care settings, there are days where the care worker is the only person an individual will interact with. Care workers can also help people access activities they may be unable to attend without support. In residential care, it is important they offer a range of activities that people can engage with.

The word ‘spiritual’ can often be misinterpreted as referring to religion or meditative practices. Although some people may find wellbeing through religious belief or support through their local religious groups it really refers to a person’s sense of purpose. This is often achieved when an individual feels like they are actively participating in something meaningful. For example, volunteering for a charity, coaching a children’s sports club or donating to a cause can give a person a sense of positive spiritual wellbeing as they feel they are doing something positive for others. A person’s family is often the greatest way an individual finds sense of purpose. For example, through nurturement of children and grandchildren.      

Mental wellbeing is often related solely to people’s mental health but also includes basic emotions and moods and a person’s ability to deal with adversity or stress. Positive mental wellbeing doesn't mean someone is always happy or they are immune to stress. Also, it doesn't always mean that they don't have a mental health problem. They may live with a mental health problem, but it is managed, and they are in a good mental space. On the swing side, they may not have a mental health problem but be struggling to cope at this moment in time. Poor mental wellbeing can make it more difficult to cope with daily life.

Mental wellbeing is heavily influenced by the other four categories. If a person is suffering from chronic ill health, then this could negatively affect their mental wellbeing. A lack of purpose, poor finances and social isolation can also cause poor mental wellbeing. It’s important that the individuals we support in social care have access to things that enrich them and lift their mood. This can be as simple as being able to go outside or even sit at a window and enjoy nature, or help tackling a jigsaw or puzzle. It could be access to their favourite music, participating in a choir, joining a book club or sewing group. Routine is also important as it reduces stress and encourages better sleep patterns.

All this still only scratches the surface of the topic ‘wellbeing’ and why it is a vitally important element of the modern social care system. The Care About Care campaign aims to protect this modern care system by putting pressure on the Government to provide emergency funding to care to prevent shortfalls in public spending damaging the system irrevocably.

‘Wellbeing’ is also key in a modern society where the pace of life is high, and we have few moments to slow down and recuperate. There is some information on the MIND website about how you can improve your own mental wellbeing. Please see the link below:

Wellbeing - Mind