What is wellbeing? One definition might be enjoying good physical, mental, and emotional health. The problem with this definition is that it suggests wellbeing is not possible if, for example, you suffer from a chronic or even a temporary illness. A better definition might be maximizing your circumstances, whatever they are, to enjoy a sense of happiness or satisfaction. The health and wellbeing hacks below can help you increase the wellbeing in your life whatever the circumstances.
1. Mindset
A big part of your wellbeing is having the right mindset. When everything else in your life feels out of control, which may happen more often than you like, one thing that you can control is your attitude about those things. One helpful way to do this is to realize that panicking or feeling angry or upset about the things that are happening doesn’t help in any way. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t let yourself feel those things, but you also shouldn’t ruminate on them for too long. Give yourself a time limit on how long you wallow in negative emotions, and then move on. Try to frame things in a more positive or at least more neutral light.
If you’ve having problems at work, your thinking might be running along these lines: “I always have these kinds of problems. Why do these things always happen to me? Maybe I’m going to get fired.” You could consciously change those thoughts so they’re more like this: “I can solve these problems. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, but everyone has issues sometimes. There is a process my employer has to follow to fire me, and they aren’t going to do it because I got one small thing wrong today.”
2. Striving
Setting challenging goals and working toward them can be a big contribution toward your sense of wellbeing. You might have a goal to pursue a particular profession, such as becoming a nurse. You’ll need to get an education first, so you might want to start by researching schools near you and the application process. You can also start looking into whether you are eligible for scholarships or a student loan. A loan can help cover your expenses, and you can pay it back once you are working. Setting shorter-term goals can help you progress toward one longer-term goal. If you want to eventually be promoted to a high position in your company, you can celebrate each promotion along the way.
3. Building Relationships
A very few people in history have thrived as hermits. For most people, even extreme introverts, having contact with at least a few other people sometimes is important. Those relationships might be primarily with family or mostly with friends, but they should be spread out across at least two or three different people rather than relying on just one person for all of your emotional support. In addition, getting out and becoming active with hobby groups or as a volunteer can help build relationships as well. Even though they might not be as deep as your most important relationships, they can contribute to your wellbeing.
