The 7 Types of Well-Being

"Well-being, which is sometimes also referred to as psychosocial well-being, is defined in different ways depending on who you ask. Psychologists have tended to define well-being in one of two ways. First, it is thought to involve higher levels of positive emotions (and lower levels of negative emotions). Second, it is thought to include a general satisfaction with one's life (Ryff & Keyes, 1995)."

"Well-being is arguably one of the most important things in life. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, claimed that 'the pursuit of happiness ' (or more accurately, the pursuit of a meaningful life) should be a human right. In addition, it is also the desire to move towards greater well-being that motivates the majority of human behavior-everything from the jobs we work to the relationships we make to the hobbies we fill our time with."

"Social well-being is defined as our self-reported relationship quality with others. Interestingly, though, other aspects of social well-being depend upon how we compare ourselves to others (Keyes & Shapiro, 2004). For example, we evaluate and therefore form opinions of our well-being based on comparisons to neighbors, friends, and even people we see on TV. Therefore, we may report relatively higher (or lower) well-being depending on how well (or not well) others are doing."

Well-being, or psychosocial well-being, involves emotional states and life satisfaction and is defined differently across perspectives. Psychologists characterize well-being by higher positive emotions, lower negative emotions, and general life satisfaction. Well-being motivates human behavior, shaping job choices, relationships, and leisure activities, and is framed as a fundamental human aspiration. Emotional well-being centers on emotions and life satisfaction but overlaps with social and mental characteristics. Social well-being reflects perceived relationship quality and depends on social comparisons with neighbors, friends, and media figures. Reducing upward comparisons can increase perceived well-being.

Read at Psychology Today