What is wellbeing anyway?
"Wellbeing" is everywhere. It's on gym posters, in workplace emails and on the side of herbal tea packets.
Ask ten people what it means and you'll get ten answers. For some it means green smoothies and yoga. For others it just means not being sick.
If you care for someone with disability or a mental health condition, the word can sound vague, or like it's meant for other people. So what does it actually mean, and what does it look like day to day?
What wellbeing covers
Wellbeing is how someone is going across their whole life. Physical health is part of it. So is whether they get a good night's sleep, enjoy their days, feel settled at home and have people around them.
That means wellbeing is for everyone, whether or not they have a diagnosis. A person can live with a long-term condition and still have a full, settled life. Someone else can have no diagnosis at all and be struggling.
Wellbeing is also built from ordinary things, like a routine that works, a friend who calls on Sundays, or a walk to the shop for the paper. These are easy to overlook because they're so everyday.
The three parts of wellbeing
It helps to think of wellbeing in three connected parts.
Physical wellbeing is the body: sleep, food and drink, movement, and managing health. On a good day, the person has the energy to do the things that matter to them.
Mental and emotional wellbeing is mood, thoughts and coping. On a good day, the person is mostly settled, can enjoy things, and can ask for what they need.
Social wellbeing is relationships and belonging: family, friends, housemates, support staff and the wider community. On a good day, the person feels connected and has people to turn to.
The three parts affect each other. A few nights of poor sleep can bring someone's mood down. A lonely week can take away their appetite and energy. A change in one part often shows up in another first.
What else makes a good life
The three parts are a useful guide, but a few things run through all of them.
Purpose. Having something to do that matters to you, like a job, a hobby, caring for a pet or helping someone else. It's often what gets someone out of bed in the morning.
Choice. Having a say in your own life, from what's for breakfast to where you live and who supports you. People who make their own choices tend to feel more confident and more in control.
Feeling safe. Feeling secure at home and with the people around you, and knowing what to expect. Familiar faces and predictable routines help people feel settled, especially people who have been through hard times.
This is why keeping someone busy isn't the same as supporting their wellbeing. A week full of activities can still leave a person feeling they have no say and nothing to look forward to.
Why "usual for them" matters more than a checklist
There's no universal checklist for wellbeing, because everyone's normal is different. What matters is what's usual for this individual.
Our staff work to understand a person's needs, preferences, triggers and strengths. That gives everyone supporting them a clear picture of what a good day looks like for that person, so a change is easier to spot early.
Some changes happen quickly. Others happen slowly, and you only notice when you compare today with a month ago.
A single off day is normal for anyone. A pattern over several days, or a change that doesn't settle down, is what good support looks out for.
Two people, the same quiet afternoon
Picture Joy, who likes her alone time. She spends Saturday afternoon in her room with her headphones on, the way she does most weekends. For Joy, that's a good day.
Now picture Dev, who never misses Thursday tenpin bowling. This week he stays home, and last week he left early. He's been leaving half his dinner too. For Dev, that's a change.
Both of them are spending time alone. Only Dev is doing something out of character. Someone who knows them both can tell the difference straight away, and knows that Dev's family and support team would want to hear about it.
The changes good support looks for
Support workers often see a person more than anyone else does, so they're usually the first to notice when something is different. Across the three parts of wellbeing, that might be:
- Sleep, appetite or energy shifting from their usual
- Moving less, or spending more time in their room
- Signs of pain, or changes in personal care
- Being more anxious, irritable or unsettled than usual, or unusually quiet
- Pulling back from things they normally enjoy
- Talking about themselves more negatively
- Seeing less of people, or new tension with family or housemates
When a change needs a clinician
Noticing that something has changed is the everyday part. Working out why, and what to do about it, is a clinical question. That's where a GP or treating team comes in.
HavenDoor's supports are overseen by Mental Health Nurses, but we're not your treating team. For advice about your own situation, talk to your GP or treating clinician.
Small things add up
Wellbeing usually improves in small ways. It shows up in things like a full night's sleep, a phone call returned, or Dev back at bowling on a Thursday night.
If you'd like to talk about what wellbeing-focused support could look like for someone you care for inOrange, Dubbo or Bathurst, call us on 1800 97 85 85 or contact us today.
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