“Well-being” has become something of a buzzword among employee benefits advocates and company culture activists, but what is it, really?
Well-being can actually be measured using 3 key factors: purpose, gratitude, and optimism. While purpose can be highly subjective and personal, there are a variety of exercises that individuals can use to define their personal purpose. Gratitude and optimism, on the other hand, are more like muscles —‚ they can be trained and strengthened over time through practice. Let’s break each of these concepts down a little further.
Purpose is the reason for which we do, create, and exist. It is the set of guiding principles and goals that bring meaning to our lives. And it has a seriously important impact on businesses. A purpose-based identity is associated with lower burnout, less fear of failure, and higher self-compassion. Individuals who rank higher in having a strong sense of purpose show greater self-esteem immunity from social media feedback. A higher sense of purpose is also associated with higher earnings, higher net worth, and more complete emotional recovery from negative stimuli.
So, how do we define our purpose? The answer is to start with our personal history. This is the basis of our personal philosophy, which guides our lives. Over time and through experience, we can interpret this philosophy and adjust it accordingly, creating a sort of iterative feedback loop. The key here is intentionality. Companies can help employees define their purpose by creating space to understand it, write it down, dive deeper into what fuels it, and consider examples of how they can embody it in their lives.
Gratitude is the feeling of thankfulness for the good things in life. Gratitude is a fairly straightforward practice that offers incredible benefits for individuals and organizations, including higher job satisfaction, fewer sick days, more positive emotion, and more purpose at work. Notice here how purpose and gratitude converge. Gratitude also creates long-lasting (meaning hours or even days) positive mood states, improves sleep quality, inspires greater exercise frequency and fewer health problems, increases life-satisfaction, and improves social relationships. Some studies have shown that gratitude is a better predictor of life-satisfaction than the big-five personality traits.
In terms of practicing gratitude, it’s much easier (and less daunting) than finding your purpose in life. Research says writing thank you notes, journaling, and meditation practice are all good places to start. And you don’t even have to practice every day to get good at it or to start seeing some of the wonderful benefits listed above. As mentioned previously, gratitude is also considered a “muscle” by psychologists and neuroscientists. This means the more you practice it, the easier it becomes.
Optimism is the belief that actions in the present will lead to better outcomes in the future, regardless of circumstance. It is not simply blind positivity. Optimism is independent of intelligence, academic achievement, wealth, or other life advantages, and it is an incredibly predictive trait. It can predict improved outcomes in chronic illnesses (including cancer and AIDS), life transitions (such as new jobs, moving, parenthood, etc.), as well as perseverance, popularity, longevity, coping, problem-solving, and general happiness.
By cultivating optimism, companies can equip their employees with powerful skills that are common among optimists, including active coping for challenges, belief in self-effectiveness, ability to engage with hard problems, effective use of humor, lower levels of denial, and a focus on what is available that can be controlled (without thinking the world revolves around oneself). A few key practices for optimism are keeping a journal of things you’re looking forward to tomorrow, perceiving challenges as things to overcome, focusing on controllable variables, and setting goals. Perhaps most importantly - don’t force it. Like most things in life, being genuine and authentic is necessary for success in cultivating optimism.
At Parallel Health, we have a deep understanding of the intersection between physical health and mental well-being. Our Corporate Wellness Program, including Virtual Spa Days, offers employers the opportunity to bring meaningful innovative, educational, and experiential wellness events to their employees. Past participants have described their experience as “a wonderful mix of relaxation and education.” If you’d like to learn more, or if you’re ready to book an experience for your company, click HERE.
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TechCrunch Disrupt Finalist and "World Changing Idea" in Fast Company, Parallel is a precision health company pioneering Microbiome Dermatology™, leveraging microbial genomics, big data, and AI/machine learning.
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