From wellbeing to flourishing

by Marion Hewitt | 4 Sep 2024 | Mental Health, Positive Resilience, Unleashing You, Wellbeing

If I look at a plant it is easy to tell if it is flourishing – it will be growing well, have vibrant colours, and be blooming. However, when we consider flourishing in a person is it more complex.

What is flourishing?

Flourishing is a great word with a sense of energy and positivity about it. In humans flourishing is about healthy growth (the same as plants!) but is a much more complicated topic going further than general wellbeing and happiness. Research found that even with these elements present people can feel that something is lacking.

Research back in 2016 found only 40% of adults considered they were flourishing (Keyes, 2016) and we know a lot has happened in the world since then that has affected wellbeing.

A PERMA model of flourishing was developed by Seligman (2011) with five pillars identified as contributing to flourishing: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. None of these are things you either have or don’t have, they are elements you can develop and increase.

Yet, this model has its challenges as it misses health and vitality, plus these pillars themselves have sub-components which in turn increases the complexity.

However, what is generally agreed is that flourishing includes the components of wellbeing, happiness, and life satisfaction as the umbrella elements. What these mean in practice is the topic of ongoing investigation and ultimately will be a combination that is unique to each of us.

Where are you now?

A definition I like identifies flourishing as “the product of the pursuit and engagement of an authentic life that brings inner joy and happiness through meeting goals, being connected with life passions, and relishing in accomplishments through the peaks and valleys of life.” (Soots)

Although there are scales to measure flourishing and multiple academic perspectives a starting point is to reflect on these three questions:

Where do I find meaning and purpose in my life? Consider what is important to you, your values, and what you do simply because you want to.
What am I doing when I experience positive emotions and how can I generate more opportunities for this?
What are the positive relationships in my life and how can I appreciate and nurture them?

How can I move towards flourishing?

When you start digging into the theory and research you can start to believe that working towards flourishing is hard work! However, many elements are part of our overall approach to wellbeing and the importance of looking after our physical and mental health – see my numerous other blogs on these topics!

3 actions towards flourishing

The power of gratitude – at the end of each day make a note or reflect on three things you are grateful for or which have made you smile. These don’t need to be complicated; it can be as simple as a short walk in the sunshine, or someone making you a cup of tea exactly how you like it.
Set yourself a goal – this can be in any area of your life and must be linked to something that has intrinsic meaning for you rather than something on your ‘to-do’ list. This should be stated as something you are working towards rather than an unhelpful habit you want to change. For example, ‘I will put my phone away at 9pm each day and be fully present with my family’, rather than ‘I will stop scrolling on my phone in the evening.’
Take a few minutes each day just to be – many of you will who have attended my training will have heard me talk about ‘slowing the world down’. Rather than constantly trying to multitask (which is a fallacy anyway!) take a few minutes each day to simply be more present. When you are eating focus on appreciating the flavour, appearance, smell of the food, rather than checking a social media feed at the same time!

As with all changes ensure you set yourself up for success with simple realistic and manageable actions. Gradually and cumulatively, you will notice the difference.