What does it mean to be well in 2024?
This is one of the questions I am pondering on this year. There are many others, which is why I decided to share my ponderings with you over the next few months and see where it takes us. Today, I invite you to join me on our first pondering together, on the question of what it means to be well in this time on Earth.
As a Positive Psychologist I know what the science of wellbeing says about that. In the eyes of science, being well is about having a certain degree of autonomy and freedom, your basic needs met, experiencing moments of joy and happiness, having meaningful social connections, creating moments of flow, feeling achieved through the work you do, and feeling healthy with and in your body.
Going by that, most of us who have a place to live, a not-too-horrible job and at least one close person, while living in a body that they consider healthy, should feel well.
Why are we not feeling well?
Why are we feeling constantly rushed, not having enough time, less happy, engaged and motivated at work every year? Why do so many clients tell me they feel a fatigue they don't understand, or find it increasingly difficult to connect with joy?
I want to emphasise that I am not here as the woman who has all the answers. Like you, I am seeking them. I just happen to think about these things kinda full-time these days, and have come to realise that through my work as a coach I have access to something I call the collective heartbeat. I get to know about people's thoughts, feelings, worries and hopes from all corners of the world. And I am seeing trends. That insight, together with some of my own reflections led me to believe that many of us are feeling Weltschmerz. This German word describes feeling the pain for the world, like carrying the sorrow of the world on one's shoulders.
I feel it too. The more I look around and learn about the complexities of geopolitical wars, the extraction of Earth's resources beyond what she can regenerate, to how we continue to fail to create a truly equal society, all of this weighs heavy on my shoulders.
What does it mean for you, to be well in 2024?
I am collecting anonymous thoughts on that question from around the world and am blown away by the richness and wisdom many people have already shared from all over the world. You see, I believe we have all the answers within us. We just need to focus on asking the right questions. I feel inspired, hopeful and motivated when reading these answers. I am sharing some with you below, so you can tap into hope too!
“To be well means to live in gratitude for the things you can do, and do have in the present moment.”
“Being well in the face of crises means taking care of my physical and mental health and living in a way that is gentle on the planet.”
“Being present and connected to your support systems -like funghi networks.”
“Being well means fully experiencing the journey of climate action, without being attached to the result or outcome. ”
“Connecting with nature – making sure that we allow the natural world to support our sense of calm, wonder and creativity.”
If you feel inspired to share your thoughts on what it means to be well in this time on Earth, press that button:
While my thoughts on that question are still developing, I see that we need to move beyond the individual exploration of wellbeing and happiness. You can not be well in a world that is unwell. You can not thrive in a society that has been built on exploitation. You may for a while, but as we start to realise, it's not sustainable.
What can we do to be truly well?
Surprisingly, I found some answers in the very science that I have come to start to question. Positive Psychology also teaches us about compassion. About empathy. About kindness. About hope. About community. And care. For ourselves. And others.
Positive Psychology calls these values or strengths. Whatever you call them, they are all underrated and underdeveloped in our current way of life. I believe the smallest change you can make that will have the biggest impact on your wellbeing and that of the people around you, is to cultivate some of these in your day-to-day.
What would it look like to be compassionate at work?
What would it mean to bring kindness to colleagues and strangers?
How can you connect to hope, even when you feel Weltschmerz?
On some days this may feel easy. On others, it may be the most difficult thing to do. Be patient. This is a journey. Life always is. And if you want to create a reflective space to ponder upon these questions or others that are present for you, I would love to work with you!
