Happiness and Well being Essay

It will also draw topics from the foundations and principals of positive psychology. The first topic will draw upon ‘social support and wellbeing’ and how frequent engagements in social interactions can increase individuals’ perspective on psychological well-being and happiness. According to Millar (2012), she states “In times of stress, social support can help reduce the symptoms of psychological distress and increase one’s wellbeing, as it acts as a buffer to one’s emotional health and wellbeing. ” The second topic will draw upon ‘nutrition and wellbeing’ and how we relentlessly over-stimulate our bodies with a high protein, high fat, high-sugared foods that have become associated with affluence and the illusions of what consist of a ‘good life’. Contrary to this, according to the mental health commission of NSW (2016), it states “No mental health without health”.

Experts say that we do not need a huge support network, however, finding a handful of people whether it is co-workers, neighbors, from a church, or extended family is good enough (Millar, 2012). Unfortunately, there are some individuals who will struggle to build their social connections, with some of these factors including, relocation, and/or psychological disorders. Social support is referred to as the exchanges of resources, where the individual is able to obtain advice from a wide range of topics, including but not limited to, emotional distress, financial strategies, and physical resources (Millar, 2012). In addition, research suggests that spouses (and/or) partners and friends are likely to be the best source of support that will have a greater impact on their wellbeing.

Interestingly, providing support to spouses has been found to decrease mortality rates, but this should not excluding in participating in community support groups as this is increasingly important to have a balance between families, intermediate friendships and community networking groups (Millar, 2012). This is often known as a state where we feel contentment, satisfaction, euphoria, and more. But in what way does social support play a role in happiness? And can this be supported? According to Mogilner (2010), he notes that as individuals, we are misled that the remedy for happiness is based on the foundations of ‘money’. Indeed, money is necessary to pay for bills, food, clothing, and the like, but underneath that layer, as humans, it is necessary for our survival mode to explore the wonders of the world other than money (Watterson, 2012).

Psychologists have found a weak connection between work and commuting, and money and happiness, but not social support and happiness. People are at their best mentally, physically, nutritionally and emotionally when they are socializing and during intimate relations (Watterson, 2012). The survey questions were related to how family and friends engaged in encouraging one to meet their dietary nutritional needs (Watterson, 2012). The results suggested that encouraging statements towards the individuals’ dietary needs did not occur in the family, but the encouraging statements started to increase with school friends at or around the sixth grade. What supports this further, is that up to 70% of students do not bring their lunches to school on a daily basis, and up to 70% of the adults in the child’s household does not meet the recommended five times per week exercise and proper nutrition (Watterson, 2012).

So what does this suggest? It suggests that there is not enough being done to address these presenting problems, about different ways of being well informed on the importance of nutrition. As noted earlier, the highlighted importance of social networking has significant changes within an individual. If wellbeing programs were to be taught in school, then it is expected to increase students’ mood and broader attention, which in turn will increase ones learning and academic performances, support wellbeing and behaviour, and skills sets and talents. This can encourage positive education. If more attention was placed on positive education and draw on positive psychology’s emphasis on individual strengths and personal motivations, this can help motive and promote learning (Seligman et al.

What students experience in today’s education system is that, teachers/lectures/aid workers and the like tailor their materials to an “average” student, however with those who are interested in blending positive educational materials, they use techniques that focuses on the well-being of that individual and not disregard them and put them in a box of ‘average’ (Vidourek and King, 2014). These techniques consist of focusing on goals for each student, thus supporting them while they develop plans that motivate them to reach their goals, which in turns allows the student to reach their full potential (Nourish et al. Positive education benefits the teacher, too. It is easier to engage with students and be determined in the work they need to do to master their academic material (Seligman, Ernst, Gillham & Linkins, 2009).

This creates a school culture that is caring, trusting, and it prevents the problematic behaviour. When we think of Wellness and Wellbeing, it is good to remember that all aspects of the six dimensions impact each other. Although every dimension is important in its self, it is the balance that gives each individual the optimum wellness and wellbeing. How similar or different are they to each other? Do the differences generate notably different outcomes, in terms of happiness and wellbeing, and different cultural norms, expectations, behaviours or values? Majority of the researchers use happiness to imply nothing that exceeds a state of mind, for instance, being satisfied with one’s life as well as a positive emotional condition. However, what happiness is, concerning this scenario, is just to inquire about the nature of a state of mind.

In contrast, they usually utilize well-being to mean a kind of value. Therefore, this value is about what benefits or harms one state of life or even what really makes one be better or worse off. However, relying on what ultimately beneficial to individuals such as matters that go beyond happiness like an achievement or even friendship. Besides, it is our belief that concern with happiness as a fully common attributes that is cultural –free is too simplistic. However, specific human desires are almost common among individuals, but the expression, achievement as well as approaches to accomplishing those desires can be quite culturally –specific. Most of the psychologists have demonstrated that culture has a significant influence on the way we think; what one value as well as how one behaves.

All these influenced the way one deals with concerns that are usually universal. There are several researchers that have been conducted in order to determine factors that most impact on happiness as well as well-being among different people. This can encourage positive education. If more attention was placed on positive education and draw on positive psychology’s emphasis of individual strengths and personal motivations, this can help motive and promote learning among the learners. However, for those who struggle with finding the benefits of nutrition and wellbeing, it might be a good idea to start focusing on the areas of the ‘good life’, they can start by striving towards optimal functioning, including goal setting, engaging in social networking, and evaluations of growth and change, so that over time they can potentially aim for the other major components’ that can give their lives a polish in health and wellbeing.