Psychology Today: How We Can Cultivate Collective Well-Being

" Human beings are wired to flourish – science has shown us that this is part of our core DNA. We can define human flourishing as the process by which we harness and nurture the innate capacities within every human being to be well. All of us come into the world with a preference for kindness, goodness, and the capacity for awareness, but we have to nurture these qualities in order to flourish.

Why are some people more vulnerable to life’s slings and arrows and others more resilient? These qualities of goodness are at the root of our flourishing, and while we are all endowed with them, it is important to acknowledge that each person begins in a different place and lives within diverse contexts.

Where to begin?

One of the key insights associated with well-being is the importance of interdependence itself. The recognition that our well-being both impacts the well-being of others and is itself affected by the well-being of the community in which we reside invites us to shift the focus to the community itself.

By understanding a city’s unique integrated health and social care models, we can both engage in and help enhance existing efforts that positively impact the well-being of its people. For initiatives to be sustainable, they must be shaped by the specific community's needs, building on assets that already exist within that community.

Where are we now?

Trends in mental health and emotional well-being were alarming before the COVID-19 pandemic–and have worsened during–with rates of depression and anxiety rising precipitously and exacting a significant toll on national health and sustainability. Distractibility, loneliness, and lack of purpose are on the rise and have dramatic consequences for our mental and physical health.

Burnout and attrition in occupations such as teaching and health care are skyrocketing, and the economic burden associated with these trends is monumental. The pandemic continues to be a traumatic event for all, especially low-income adults, women, Black, Latino, and Indigenous households, and persons with disabilities.

Where are we headed?

We have a vision that we can scale well-being by working at a city-wide level with key stakeholders and community leaders across sectors such as government, education, health care, first responders, businesses and the workplace, and communities of faith.

If we value qualities like kindness and compassion, we can integrate well-being practices that intentionally strengthen these capacities throughout all city sectors. We know this is possible because our neuroscientific research teaches us that kindness and compassion are best regarded as skills that can be enhanced through training. When we train the mind in these positive qualities, the brain changes in ways that support enduring well-being.

I believe that we all have a moral obligation to do everything we can to cultivate human flourishing. It is part of our nature, and we can begin one city at a time to create a kinder, wiser, more compassionate world.

Read the full article here!

Reflection:

What are your thoughts on ways we can cultivate the well-being of society?

#Well-Being #Society #MentalHealth