Psychological Wellbeing
The researcher Carol Ryff thought that wellbeing could be made sense of by breaking it down into a number of areas or components. She identified the following areas as contributing to people's experience of wellbeing.
For each area we invite you to consider:
- "What does this mean day to day?"
- "How much am I 'doing' it in my life, today?"
- "How could I increase that tomorrow?"
Self-Acceptance
This means having a positive attitude toward your self; acknowledging and accepting multiple aspects of self; feeling positive about your past life. It means being able to say; "when I look at the story of my life, I am pleased with how things have turned out so far.
Ask yourself:
- "When I look at how I handled today, am I able to say, 'I did my best with that. I feel OK about how I went'".
Personal Growth
This means having feelings of continued development and potential and being open to new experiences; feeling increasingly knowledgeable and effective. It means being able to say; "for me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing, and growth."
Ask yourself:
- "How did I learn and change today? What was I open to?"
Purpose in Life
This means having goals and a sense of direction in life; feeling that both present and past experiences are meaningful; holding beliefs that give purpose to life. It means being able to say; "some people wander aimlessly through life; I am not one of them."
Ask yourself:
- "What goal did I set myself and achieve today?"
Environmental Mastery
This means feeling competent and able to manage a complex environment; choosing or creating personally suitable contexts. It means being able to say; "I am good at managing the responsibilities of daily life."
Ask yourself:
- "How did I manage the practicalities of getting through today. What did I do well in there?"
Autonomy
This means being self-determining, independent, and regulating your behavior internally; resisting social pressures to think and act in certain ways; evaluating yourself by personal standards. It means being able to say; "I have confidence in my own opinions, even if they are different from the way most other people think."
Ask yourself:
- "What did I do or say today that expressed my opinion or belief?"
Positive Relations With Others
This means having warm, satisfying, trusting relationships; being concerned about others' welfare; being capable of strong empathy, affection, and intimacy; understanding give-and-take of human relationships. It means being able to say; "People would describe me as a giving person, willing to share my time with others."
Ask yourself:
- "What gesture did I make today toward another person, that showed my ability to care?"
Adapted from CD "Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being" (1989).