When you think that someone is “healthy” or “in good health,” you may think that they are physically well. However, the concept of health encompasses physical health, but also mental and emotional health, including dimensions such as self-acceptance, social skills, or the perception of control over what happens around us. For all these reasons, today we are going to see what psychological well-being is all about.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as: “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Thus, psychological well-being encompasses a set of sensations that refer to how we judge our lives on a global level. Furthermore, it is not necessarily related to experiencing pleasurable situations or satisfying our desires, because this would be something temporary, but rather to a set of broader dimensions.
“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.”
– Marcus Aurelius –
Psychologist Carol Ryff has devoted herself to studying which factors or dimensions have a significant contribution to our quality of life. The researcher has developed a questionnaire to measure people’s psychological well-being and has extracted six criteria that are essential to achieving self-realization and people’s potential.
The studies carried out by this psychologist, using the emotional well-being questionnaire, show that psychological well-being is related to age, sex, socio-economic status, and ethnicity (Ryff and Singer 2008).
The 6 dimensions of psychological well-being
The six dimensions that show us this psychological well-being are the following. We will see that, surely, there are many of them that we should develop to achieve it.
1. Self-acceptance
This dimension speaks of the acceptance of all aspects of oneself and the past as it was, without falling into the clutches of impotence by wanting to modify or intervene in what has already happened.
Consider that if you accept your body, your emotions, and your thoughts, you will have a more positive view of yourself. On the other hand, if you have low self-esteem and find it difficult to accept who you are, it is possible that due to this dissatisfaction you feel so overwhelmed that you do not know where to start to change those aspects that you can intervene on.
2. Mastery of the environment
This dimension refers to the ability to cope in a difficult environment, and having the capacity to adapt to adverse circumstances. If you have a high perception of mastery over your surroundings, you will feel capable of influencing your environment and handling complicated situations.
However, if you have a low level of control over your environment, according to the psychological well-being questionnaire, you will have more difficulty overcoming the adversities that arise in your daily life.
“Life is a journey and if you fall in love with the journey you will be in love forever.”
– Peter Hagerty –
3. Positive relationships with others
This dimension measures the ability of people to relate to others openly and sincerely. If you can have satisfactory relationships with others, you will foster bonds that will bring you greater emotional quality.
This means having a greater capacity for empathy and openness towards people. If you score lower on this scale, you may have difficulty relating, have difficulty opening up and trusting, and have difficulty maintaining relationships.
4. Autonomy
This dimension assesses people’s independence in different aspects of their lives. The feeling of being able to choose and make their own decisions, of maintaining their criteria and personal and emotional independence even if others do not agree.
A high degree of autonomy implies that you can deploy greater strength to resist social pressure and your impulses. If, on the other hand, you have a low degree of autonomy, you may be guided more by the opinions of others, you are aware of what others say or think about you and you are more influenced by group pressure.
5. Personal growth
This dimension measures the ability of people to learn about themselves and be open to new and challenging experiences. If you encourage your personal growth, you may feel that you are continuously learning, have the ability to learn from what you receive, and know that you have the resources to keep improving.
If personal growth isn’t your thing, you may feel stuck, bored and unmotivated. With little desire or incapable of developing new learning and new growth behaviors.
6. Purpose of life
It measures people’s need to find a purpose that gives meaning to their lives. People need to set clear and attainable goals, as well as realistic objectives. Consider that whether we do this task well will depend on whether or not we get most of our reinforcements.
If you score high on this dimension, it means that you find meaning in your life, you give meaning and significance to your past, present, and future. If, on the other hand, you do not find a clear purpose, you may feel that you lack direction or feel disoriented.
How does emotional intelligence influence people’s psychological well-being?
Emotionally intelligent people are more optimistic, have higher self-esteem, and are more capable of empathy, which contributes to improving our psychological well-being. People who know how to identify their emotions feel more satisfied with themselves and therefore, feel greater well-being in general.
How can you improve your psychological well-being and live a fulfilling life?
There are a few ways you can improve your psychological well-being. Here are some tips to help you start feeling better.
Find your passion
It could be at work since you might spend a lot of time here, and it’s better to spend it doing something that motivates you. But you can also find what you like in a hobby that fulfills you. For example, music, a sport, or a craft.
Don’t try to change yourself.
Accept yourself in those dimensions that you cannot change. Trying to change yourself will cause you discomfort and rejection. You will gain well-being if you give your naturalness a chance. In this way, everything positive that you achieve will serve to improve your self-esteem because you will feel it as your own; the same will happen with the negative things that you learn from.
Surround yourself with people with good energy.
Positive relationships, being with people who appeal to you and fulfill you, will be an important factor that directly influences your physical and emotional well-being. Toxic people take away your psychological well-being and add stress to your life.
Learn from your mistakes.
Not everything in life goes as you had planned. Knowing how to adapt to circumstances and manage your frustration is going to be essential to having a happier life with fewer expectations that are far from reality. Keep in mind that you are imperfect just like everyone else and you will not be able to change it: it is in your hands to exploit all the positive side of your imperfection.
Take the risk of doing new things.
Getting out of your comfort zone and exploring unknown areas will keep you active and motivated. No matter how old you are, there are always new places to visit, people to meet, and things to learn. For example, trying new activities, meeting new people, taking new routes to work, etc.
Believe in your potential.
You have incredible potential to explore, many internal resources, and a wonderful opportunity to grow as a person. Believe in yourself and your possibilities. Visualize your goals and start taking small steps to achieve them.
Psychological well-being, therefore, can bring you greater maturity, stability, and self-knowledge. It is only a matter of starting with some small action. Remember that it is never too late to start cultivating your physical, psychological, emotional, and social well-being.