The way we function as individuals influences every aspect of our lives. Not just the personal stuff, but also relationships, family and work. So even though this website is called “Better Relationships,” personal development plays an important part of that! This includes developing psychological, emotional and physical health and wellbeing. This part of the site is where you’ll find some help with it.
There is a clear association between wellbeing, good mental health and improved outcomes for people of all ages and social classes across a whole bunch of areas. Enhanced wellbeing is linked to longevity, physical health, social connectedness, educational achievement, maintaining a home, employment status and productivity.
A lot of different things affect your overall wellbeing. For example, strong evidence exists to show a link between wellbeing and having a sense of purpose and meaning in daily life. Purpose and meaning can come from many sources, including family and friends, social inclusion, leisure, creativity, community involvement and spirituality. Developing an attitude of purpose and meaning assists us in the development of positive self esteem, personal growth, lower stress levels, greater resilience and positive emotions.
What else do we need to work on to enhance our wellbeing?
- Social and relationship skills that support the development of positive relationships, including:
- Assertive and empathic communication skills.
- Conflict resolution, negotiation and problem solving.
- Life skills to cope with change and adversity.
- Emotional awareness and emotion regulation skills.
- Stress reduction and relaxation skills.
- Participation in meaningful activities.
- Good physical health, including diet, exercise, healthy use of alcohol and other drugs.
- Positive family and social network contact.
- Active participation in social and community life.
You’ll notice there are a lot of social aspects to that list. Active participation in social and community life is strongly linked to mental health and well-being. It is also important in maintaining resilience during times of stress. There is some evidence to suggest that positive engagement in social networks and social support may help to prevent mental health issues from developing.
Wellbeing articles
- Anger management
- Core beliefs and self acceptance
- Grief and loss
- Men’s wellbeing
- Mindfulness meditation: Who are you?
- Personal problem solving
- Resilience
- Sleep, insomnia and wellbeing
- Stress
- The importance of social support
- Unhelpful thinking patterns
- Dealing with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings
- Goal setting
- Self esteem
