Why You Need a Well-being Strategy
It seems everyone these days, from business leaders to government officials to social media influencers, has a story, a stance, or a Tik-Tok about well-being*.
According to Google Trends, interest in the search term well-being is ten times more popular now than it was five years ago in the United States.
As I write this post, there are over 7,000 results on Amazon for books on the topic of well-being which have been released in the last 90 days.
A quick search on LinkedIn yields “about 5,040,000 results” for people with the keyword well-being.
While well-being is clearly having a moment, what’s bothering me is this: We, as a people, are not well.
* What’s the deal with the hyphen in well-being? The word wellbeing is a common misspelling of well-being. The noun well-being consists of an adjective and a verb, so a hyphen is necessary for the words to become one.
THE GLOBAL STATE OF WELL-BEING
Gallup, a global analytics and advisory firm, published the following articles in the past several months, and the headlines speak volumes to the state of global well-being:
Poor Wellbeing Linked to Formation of New Chronic Conditions
Almost a Quarter of the World Feels Lonely
Japan’s Workplace Wellbeing Woes Continue
For its Life Evaluation Index, Gallup asks people to imagine a ladder, with the lowest rung representing the worst possible life and the highest rung representing the best possible life. Those rungs are numbered zero to 10, based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. People rate where they stand today and where they expect to stand in five years.
The most recent global data from the Life Evaluation Index (2021) informs us how people feel: 58% are struggling, 27% are thriving, and 15% are suffering. This means that worldwide 73% of people’s well-being is considered moderate, inconsistent, or at high risk. Compared to “thriving” respondents, the people who represent the 73% report increased daily stress, worry more about money, and take more than double the number of sick days at work.
THE CULT OF WELLNESS
The wellness industry is a massive business. According to the Global Wellness Institute the global wellness economy reached $5.6 trillion in 2022 and is predicted to reach $8.5 trillion in 2027. With this market opportunity comes the influence of culture and advertising to contend with: Should I ice plunge every day? Will a meditation app relieve my anxiety? Do I need to worry about my gut microbiome?
We are constantly exposed to a dizzying array of products and services promising to address wellness problems we didn’t even know existed. Marketing and advertising for wellness related products and services has ramped up significantly for business to business and business to consumer industries, which means people are being targeted in both their personal and professional lives.
The business opportunity to capitalize on this burgeoning industry has created a situation where the human condition of suffering, and the primary emotions of love and fear, are being exploited through a false social narrative: There’s something wrong with you and the way to solve it is through wellness gurus, products, and services.
WELL-BEING VS WELLNESS
The difference between wellness and well-being is wellness describes a healthy lifestyle, whereas well-being encompasses a holistic view of a life well-lived. Wellness contributes to an overall state of well-being, however defining a well-lived life is a subjective and unique experience for each of us.
Flourishing, thriving, and satisfied are a few words used by organizations such as Gallup and Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program, to describe a person’s state of well-being. It is important to consider however that the context of one’s life greatly influences the examination of one’s personal views, including our understanding of what it means to be healthy or well.
Personal definitions will vary from person to person and may change throughout one’s life. To ground us in common terminology, I point to Gallup’s global research and the five elements of well-being that adds up to a thriving life, according to their research:
- Physical well-being: You have energy to get things done.
- Social well-being: You have meaningful friendships in your life.
- Career well-being: You like what you do every day.
- Financial well-being: You manage your money well.
- Community well-being: You like where you live.
The challenge is that each of these elements is siloed from the others. For example, if you have a financial advisor, are they asking about your community or physical well-being? How about your manager at work, are they concerned with your social well-being? If you answered yes, consider yourself one of the few lucky ones.
WHY YOU NEED A PERSONAL WELL-BEING STRATEGY
We live and work in systems not designed for our well-being.
Well-being is trending, there are more wellness products and services than ever before, however globally 73% of people’s well-being is considered moderate, inconsistent, or at high risk.
The wellness industry is a massive economy, and I believe that profit over people’s well-being is driving business and the commoditization of our time and attention.
We are constantly barraged with messages to “buy-in” to wellness fads which can perpetuate the sense that we are unwell and incapable of thriving within our own means and methods. Conscious effort paired with strategy is needed to optimize well-being for your unique quality of life.
Strategy is not just for business, it’s a framework that can be used by anyone to overcome challenges.
A good strategy honestly acknowledges the challenges being faced and provides an approach to overcoming them. Most people are reactive to challenges, tackling them as they arise, and this can feel like a game of whack-a-mole.
While we can’t anticipate every challenge that will arise, a well-being strategy is a strong foundation for building resilience, dealing with adversity, and living in integrity.
You have the innate ability, and sole interest, to create a well-being strategy that aligns and fosters your definition of a life well-lived.
Your doctor, your boss, your loved ones all care about you in a way that serves their interests, or mutual interests, however none of them embodies your human experience. Your well-being impacts all aspects of your life, and it is up to you to dial it in.
I believe this deeply as I describe with my Totally Wise philosophy: Each of us is entirely complete and by unlocking inner wisdom we have the opportunity to experience deeper knowing, clarity, and connection.
Your well-being strategy is a woven approach that enables you to holistically interconnect the five thriving life elements:
- Whole Self: You feel good physically and have a positive outlook on life.
- Social: You have meaningful relationships.
- Career: You are energized by work.
- Financial: You manage your money well.
- Community: You feel a sense of belonging where you live and work.
Well-being starts with you and the ripple effect of your thriving life can have exponential impact on your family, in your community, at your workplace, and in the world. What are you waiting for?
In 2024 I am actively integrating my marketing knowledge with my well-being experience to help companies and individuals strategically align their mission, values, and growth objectives. I am open for business and seeking connection with individuals and businesses to learn how we can learn, work, and grow together.
Next, read How to Create a Well-being Strategy. If you are not already a subscriber, you can do that here. You can also join me on Instagram and LinkedIn for well-being content and community.