The popular use of the term well-being often refers to health. This has likely been the case since the World Health Organization, in 1946, defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease" (https://apps.who.int/aboutwho/en/definition.html). This definition stems from a multidimensional view of the human being and, although more appropriate, has been the subject of controversies due to the difficulty of measuring and operationalizing well-being.
Can we measure well-being? How to measure it? Yes. Measuring well-being is not an easy task, but we can quantify it through objective and/or subjective measures. Physical well-being, for example, can be measured objectively through biological markers and physiological responses, such as hormone levels, autonomic nervous system responses, etc. On the other hand, mental or psychological well-being belongs to the subjective dimension; therefore, researchers have resorted to questionnaires, scales, and scientific inventories, inaugurating, in the 1970s, a new field of study called subjective well-being.
In the late 1990s, a scientific movement called Positive Psychology emerged, which has been enhancing new ways to not only measure but also promote subjective well-being.
Natura, since its foundation, has as its raison d'être the promotion of Well-Being Well, which encompasses not only well-being (a harmonious relationship with oneself) but also being well (an empathetic and pleasurable relationship of the individual creating full connections with others, with nature, and with the whole). The research area called Well-Being and Relationships Sciences has been using Integral Theory, developed by philosopher Ken Wilber, since 2006 to understand well-being in a broader and deeper way that we call Integral Well-Being.
Integral Theory seeks to take into account both the individual and collective dimensions, also considering objective and subjective aspects, resulting in four different but complementary perspectives:
1. Behavioral: individual and objective dimension.
2. Emotional: individual and subjective dimension.
3. Cultural: collective and intersubjective dimension.
4. Social-Systemic: collective and interobjective dimension.
At Natura, we understand Integrality as the comprehension, deepening, and expansion of relationships. When we broaden our perception of ourselves, of the other beside us, of the world around us, we understand that everything is interconnected. We are then capable of establishing nourishing and transformative connections, creating a loving gaze and sustainable action. We believe that by valuing relationships, we will inspire changes in perspective, in action, and in the expansion of our consciousness, thus creating a transformative movement that invites a collaborative and integrated life.
The research area at Natura responsible for this theme understands that well-being is a multidimensional phenomenon that can only be adequately understood through the integration of various fields of Science, such as Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Medicine, Ecology, etc. Thus, it consists of a holistic and integrated approach to knowledge, which involves understanding the human being and the nature of which it is a part in its physical, emotional, and cultural dimensions.
The study reported here was developed by Natura researchers: Cláudia Pellegrino, Ph.D.; Patricia Tobo, Ph.D.; and Helder Kamei, M.Sc.
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