What is Emotional Well-Being
Emotional well-being constitutes the positive characteristics and values of each individual. It is the notion of an individual ‘flourishing’ and ‘feeling of goodness’.
‘Flourishing’ is defined as ‘feeling goodness’ and ‘doing good’.
‘Feeling goodness’ represents the value of life, positive emotions and engaging experiences.
‘Doing good’ represents an individual functioning effectively, connecting with others, overcoming challenges, and contributing meaningfully to the community.
A holistic view of emotional well-being embraces these dimensions: physical and intellectual vitality, being fully engaged and authentic, having a sense of optimism and purpose, and relating well to others.
The better we can master our emotions the greater our capacity to enjoy life, cope with stress and focus on important personal, professional, educational, family, occupational and community priorities.
Emotional well-being is integral to mental health, and the foundation for the effective functioning of individuals and the population, which lead to increased national productivity.
Positive human experience cannot be adequately assessed using a single item about life satisfaction or happiness.
The experience of well-being is multi-dimensional. Emotional well-being is a broad concept. It includes many aspects of our everyday lives.
It encompasses material well-being, relationships with family and friends, and emotional and physical health. It includes work and recreation, how one feels about one’s community, and personal safety.
The positive state of well-being enables individuals, groups, and communities to function in society and meet the demands of everyday life.
For example, a local GP managed to turn around the failing health of residents in the fishing port of Fleetwood in Lancashire after the fishing industry collapsed in the 70s and 80s.
Dr Mark Spencer who started the Healthier Fleetwood Initiative said, as reported by BBC on September 18, that “the only way to tackle Fleetwood's health problems was to start from the bottom up - not by dictating what needed to happen but by encouraging and supporting residents to take control of their own health, and in doing so, their own lives”.
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