Wellbeing refers to feeling good about oneself and one’s life in general. There are various strategies you can employ to increase your wellbeing, such as taking better care of yourself and making more meaningful connections – but how exactly can this be accomplished?
Though most research on social support focuses on its effects, few studies explore its positive benefits for giving. This field experimental design study employs university students as participants and examines how autonomy and effectiveness of providing support affect subjective well-being.
Identifying your needs
Discovering your needs is essential in developing well-being skills. Do this by taking stock of where you currently stand in terms of emotions, physical health, relationships and spirituality in various aspects of your life – emotional wellbeing, physical fitness, relationships with friends/family and spiritual wellbeing should all be assessed in your assessment process. Similarly, setting future goals should also be an integral component.
Emotional wellness involves recognising and responding appropriately to one’s own feelings, as well as those of others, while setting healthy boundaries to promote communication, trust, and conflict management. Physical wellness encompasses healthy eating and sleeping habits while managing stress and anxiety effectively, and spiritual wellness encompasses finding meaning and purpose in one’s life through spiritual practices or beliefs that provide meaning and purpose in everyday living.
Wellness coaches can assist in the identification and planning for meeting individual needs and support through tough times. You may find one at work or within your local community.
Taking care of yourself
Maintaining personal care is an integral component of maintaining physical wellbeing. Doing so can help you feel good about yourself, decrease stress levels and build resilience against life’s unpredictable stressors that are beyond your control. There are various ways in which one can take care of themselves such as eating right, exercising regularly and getting enough restful sleep.
Emotional self-care involves expressing and managing your emotions in healthy ways – this could include writing in a journal or speaking to someone about what’s bothering you. Spiritual self-care entails reconnecting with faith and discovering meaning in life.
Caregivers who prioritize their own physical, social and emotional well-being are better equipped to support the needs of their loved ones. They are less vulnerable to stress, making it easier to weather recovery journeys for family members with chronic conditions. You can begin by creating a wellness plan which encompasses three forms of self-care: physical, social and emotional.
Finding a support network
Cultivating meaningful connections is integral to wellness. A support network may include family, friends, coworkers, community groups or online communities – and can offer practical assistance such as help with housework or covering transportation costs. A diverse support network increases resilience while offering various perspectives and types of aid that may assist individuals overcome challenges and reach their goals more successfully.
To build your support network, start by evaluating who’s already in your life and identifying their strengths and weaknesses – such as whether they can offer emotional or practical help – before looking for new members to add. It is essential that your network contains different kinds of relationships; having different kinds of friends provide unique perspectives – for instance colleagues may offer emotional support while friends could provide practical help. Finally, keep in mind that building meaningful connections should be two-way; you should offer your own support when necessary.
Getting help
Wellbeing is an intricate topic and improving it requires long-term dedication, but the good news is that most people feel better within five weeks by using scientific-based techniques regularly.
If you need wellness support during the coronavirus pandemic, ThriveNYC provides a list of programs tailored specifically to New York City residents that is regularly updated as services change and offered free for all, regardless of insurance status or immigration status.
BARBRI offers various tools that promote positive mental health and wellbeing for students preparing to enter the legal profession, such as our careerHUB wellbeing section and student support service. Furthermore, our partnership with LawCare allows for psychological support services tailored specifically for legal profession students entering their workforces.
