Stylist: the 4 key factors that shape our wellbeing, according to psychologists

“According to a new study by psychologists at the University of Girona in Spain, your overall wellbeing is defined by four central ‘nodes’ or factors which interact with one another in a kind of push-pull relationship–and focusing on these four areas can help to bring about positive changes in other areas of your life, too.

The four areas that the researchers believe define ‘wellbeing’ are as follows:

• Most of the time, I feel proud of who I am and the life I lead
• In general, I feel positive and confident about myself
• I enjoy making plans for the future and working to make them a reality
• In general, I feel I am in charge of the situation in which I live

While these statements may feel a little arbitrary at first, they’ve been developed from an existing scale used to measure wellbeing across the world– and incorporate key psychological concepts such as self-acceptance, life purpose, and environmental mastery.

In short, these statements describe the key qualities that make us feel good–and as such, can help us to identify the areas of our lives we might want to work on.

The psychologist and author Susan Krauss Whitbourne advised: “Rather than spend your energy sifting through all the many potential ways you could improve your wellbeing, start with these four and see whether the positive energy starts spreading elsewhere.”

Improving your wellbeing may not be as straightforward and easy to understand as improving your fitness or skill set at work, but this new framework is a useful way to think about the concept and focus on the areas of your life you might want to change in the long-run.“

Read the complete article here.

#Well-being #Confidence #Goal-setting #Control

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