The physical and mental well-being it is a positive state in which we feel physically healthy, mentally calm and at peace with our social environment.
It is therefore an internal state that does not depend so much on external circumstances, but mainly on our way of perceiving what happens to us. In this article we explore what physical and mental well-being consists of and how we can develop the capacities that allow us to experience it.
In this connection, Enric Corbera explains what self-inquiry consists of, a tool that, applied in our day to day, allows us to achieve an optimal state of well-being.
In this conference, Enric Corbera explains what inner peace really means, essential to experience what we understand as well-being, and what resources we have to recover it when it is most necessary.
If you want to know more about the la method and how to apply it in your life to increase your emotional well-being, follow our social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.
What do we understand by optimal physical and mental well-being?
What is optimal wellness?
optimal wellness it is not a concept separate from our way of perceiving the reality that surrounds us, since it is a subjective state that depends on the way in which each one of us interprets our circumstances.
This means that what for one person represents a situation of well-being, for another it might not be.
We all have a series of characteristics and needs due to the fact of being human and well-being is always related in some way to develop our potential and satisfy our physical, mental and social needs.
The It is related to everything that maintains and enhances our health. In this sense, the definition of health offered by the WHO is interesting, which defines it as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”and not only the absence of conditions or diseases.
Mental or psychological well-being
In the same way, mental or psychological well-being does not consist only in the absence of symptoms such as anxiety and depression, nor in experiencing mainly .
Actually, this feeling of mental well-being refers to obtaining the values that make us grow as people, that make us feel alive.
To achieve this type of well-being, we must have high self-esteem, satisfying relationships, the feeling of influence over our context and goals and objectives that give .
These abilities are acquired through in our day to day. Humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow argues that “You cannot choose a life wisely unless you dare to listen to yourself, to your own self, in every moment of life”.
Sociability is a key element for optimal physical and mental well-being
Social welfare, for its part, is related to the needs for love and belongingand it has to do with the quality of our friendship, companionship, affection and .
all seek overcome feelings of loneliness and alienationsince we are social beings by nature.
Quality relationships keep us happy and healthy.
The doctor a psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School, is the current director of one of the largest studies of adult development ever conducted, spanning more than seventy-five years.
This study was dedicated to tracking the lives of 724 people, from their childhood to their adulthood, with the purpose of find out what keeps us healthy and happy as we move on in life.
From all the collected data it was concluded that .
For “quality” relationships we understand those in which, despite possible temporary disagreements, we feel that the other person is by our side and we can trust them.
Loneliness and physical, mental and social well-being
The fear of disconnection
The fear of disconnection and constitute a problem that affects our health and quality of life.
a psychologist at the University of Chicago, has compiled multiple scientific references on the effects of social isolation and finds an explanation in ancestral human behavior, in which most of the history of humanity belonging to a social group has been a symbol of protection.
Cacioppo explains that the most important thing is not the amount of contact we have with other people, but how isolated we feel.
Well-being and the perception of loneliness
Loneliness consists of an affective element, because it is an emotionally destabilizing experience, and a cognitive element, since requires the perception of a problem in social relations.
This explains why loneliness has more to do with our way of interpreting how are our relationships than with the frequency of social contact.
Also, when we feel rejected or disconnected, we put on the negative aspects of the environment, increasing our stress levelwhich can harm our physical health.
Loneliness: source of well-being or suffering?
We have referred to a perception of exclusion that generates suffering, but is inherent to the human being and in many cases it is a personal choice, a positive and pleasant experience that helps us to rest, recover energy and promote creativity. However it is not always so.
The investigations of show that feeling socially excluded activates the same brain regions as when we suffer physical pain.
Expressions like “my heart breaks” or “a word hurts deeper than a sword” by Robert Burton, reveal this experience, since the it can be as destructive, hurtful and debilitating as pain in the body.
Feeling good implies understanding that separation is an illusion
You may ask yourself: What do you do when a part of your body hurts?Y How do you act when a part of your life hurts?
In reality, everything around you, all the people who in some way “hurt” you – your mother, your partner, your friend, etc. – they are also part of you, because you do not perceive them as someone separate, but as a of what you are.
The experience of loneliness includes persistent painful emotions, feelings, and thoughts.
If these are not managed properly, they can have a wide variety of negative consequences.such as physical health problems – cardiovascular diseases, eating disorders, – and alterations in mental health – depression, Y among others -.
We can be surrounded by people and in the words of psychologist Lucas JJ Malaisi “Loneliness does not exist. You are not alone, it is the lack of connection with yourself, it is the lack of dreams and projects “.
Physical, mental and social well-being: what can we do to enhance it?
Taking into account that, as we have seen, well-being encompasses all aspects of our being, physical, mental and socialand that they are all interrelated, we can conclude that it is as important to take care of our body, as our mental state and our interpersonal relationships.
Our mental state is what allows us to acquire healthy habits and relate to our environment in a balanced and satisfying way. And, at the same time, having a healthy body and maintaining good relationships enhances our mental well-being.
The state of these three aspects is fed backTherefore, depending on our actions and decisions, we can generate a vicious circle or a virtuous circle.
On the one hand, if we don’t feel emotionally well, we tend to take less care of our diet and relate less or in a less balanced way with our environment, entering into a dynamic that harms us at all levels.
On the other hand, the Y start taking care of ourselves in any aspect, will have a positive impact on everything else.
“The mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it to better see the world.”
amit ray
However, when we feel bad and don’t know where to start, we can pay attention to the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi:
“Take care of your , because they will become your words. Take care of your words, because they will become your actions. Take care of your actions, because they will become your habits. Take care of your habits, because they will become your destiny.
This implies that in the face of any discomfort, we can start connecting with ourselvesobserve our thoughts, to be able to identify what we really need, what meaning we want to give to our life and act in that direction.
Also, this is what will allow us to connect with others and improve our well-being. At the end of the 19th century, the philosopher and psychologist William James already said that “If you can change your mind, you can change your life”.
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