If we ask someone if they feel good, they will certainly have no doubts in answering “yes or no,” after all, we all know when we are well or when something makes us uncomfortable... but if we ask that person to define what it means to feel good, the answer will not be so immediate. After all, what is “well-being”?
To evaluate “the state of being and feeling good,” we need to initially assess the individual's health. And, when we think about health, we are necessarily led to consider factors related to the human being that are often ignored.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, which does not consist merely of the absence of disease or infirmity.”
When developing the quality of life assessment tool (WHOQOL-100), the WHO defined “quality of life” as “the individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value system in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns.”1 With this definition, the WHO brought to light the importance of cultural context for well-being.
Recent research highlights the importance of cultivating spiritual practice for the healing of patients suffering from chronic pain.2 This draws our attention to the need to nurture the spiritual dimension when we want to feel completely well.
In this context, we gather the different dimensions of the human being that must be equally nourished and cultivated to achieve a full state of health and well-being. These are: physical, mental, social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions.
The rush of daily life, the beauty standards imposed by the media, and the relentless pursuit of “having” at the expense of “being” have prevented us from nurturing, in balance, these different dimensions, and from living in harmony with our own self and with the people around us.
The physical dimension must be nurtured diligently, as our body is our instrument of life. Balanced nutrition, physical activity, regular sleep, and the practice of body care rituals are fundamental for physical well-being.
It is interesting to observe that the practice of body care rituals, such as self-massage, for example, necessarily leads to a relaxation of the mind. With the mind free of worries, we are more likely to think positively, which favors the mental dimension. Here we have an example of correlation between the physical and the mental.
In the field of Psychology, the current emergence of Positive Psychology reinforces the importance of studying subjective well-being, presenting positive emotions as fundamental to happiness. Martin Seligman, a significant contributor in this area, states that happy people have more friends and participate in more group activities.3 In this case, we have an example of correlation between the cultural and social dimensions.
The dimensions are, therefore, interconnected. Of course, they are just different angles, different aspects, of the same self.
Ancient and traditional medicines and philosophies, such as Chinese and Indian, already depict the importance of balance between the different dimensions of man to achieve a state of health and complete happiness, and recommend the practice of rituals to connect with one’s inner self in order to expand one’s state of consciousness and live in wholeness with the All.
The spiritual science of Anthroposophy, founded by Rudolf Steiner in the early 20th century and strongly practiced today, also presents these different aspects of being and the need to expand consciousness to integrate with one’s own self.
By nurturing and balancing these dimensions, man would certainly reach a state of fullness that would allow him to reconnect with his essence. And, by reconnecting with his essence, he would necessarily have his consciousness expanded. The expanded consciousness would lead man to perceive himself as part of the Whole.
Could we then say that only those who recognize their true essence and perceive themselves as part of the Whole find true happiness, real well-being?
Expansion of consciousness, inner self, integration with the Whole are expressions that commonly arise when we delve into the pursuit of knowledge that generates well-being.
What is, after all, being well? Is it the same as feeling good? Does having quality of life mean enjoying health and well-being? When feeling well, does a person have quality of life? If they have quality of life, are they happy? What is happiness?
Being happy, being healthy, feeling good... well-being, a state eagerly sought by humanity since the dawn of time. This is confirmed by the Bible itself, which in the Old Testament repeatedly describes the term “Shalom,” which conveys the Hebrew perception of total health. "Shalom" comes from the root word "Salam," which means "to be well," "to be complete," "whole," and "safe."4
Concepts interrelate and overlap. Philosophers and scientists seek ways to name and characterize states of being, but only the being itself, even if unable to define, can understand what it feels, and by understanding what it feels, can take charge of its own life and seek elements to live it to the fullest.
Shalom!
Reading suggestions
Fleck, M. P. A. The World Health Organization's quality of life assessment instrument (WHOQOL-100): characteristics and perspectives. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 5(1):33-38, 2000;
Peres, M.F.P. et al. The importance of integrating spirituality and religiosity in pain management and palliative care. Rev. Psiq. Clín. 34, supl 1; 82-87, 2007;
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING. Estudos de Psicologia. Campinas I 24(4) I 513-517. October - December 2007;
