Wellness vs. Wellbeing: What’s the Difference?

Within our health system we often hear the terms “wellness” and “wellbeing”. While they are related, they mean different things, and both are important for our overall health and happiness.

Wellness

Wellness generally refers to the active process of making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. It encompasses various dimensions, including physical, mental, and social health and focuses on lifestyle choices and habits that can prevent illness and improve overall health.

For our health system staff, this includes staying active, eating nutritious food, getting enough sleep, and having regular health check-ups. Wellness focuses on actions that keep our bodies healthy and ready to handle the demands of our jobs. It’s the visible and measurable part of our health.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is a broader concept that encompasses the holistic experience of health, happiness, and prosperity. It’s about how we feel overall. It includes physical and mental health, overall quality of life, satisfaction, and the ability to manage stress and engage in meaningful work. It’s about taking a holistic view in understanding how dimensions of wellbeing impact one another and contribute to our overall health.

For our health system staff, this means managing stress, feeling emotionally healthy, having strong social connections at work, feeling supported by your workplace, finding job satisfaction, and having a sense of purpose and belonging. Wellbeing includes our happiness, fulfillment, and overall satisfaction with life. It’s influenced by our work environment, relationships with colleagues, and how we handle stress and challenges.

Dimensions of Wellbeing

• Physical Wellbeing: Health and fitness, similar to wellness, but as part of a larger picture.
• Mental and Emotional Wellbeing: Feeling secure, supported, able to adapt and recover from daily stresses.
• Social Wellbeing: Strong sense of connection, community, and belonging both at work and at home.
• Financial Wellbeing: Financial security, and freedom from stress about money.
• Occupational Wellbeing: Finding meaning and satisfaction in one’s work, the feeling of making a difference, professional growth, and work-life balance.
• Spiritual Wellbeing: Sense of connection to a larger purpose or belief system.

In summary, wellness is the foundation of good health, focusing on our physical state and lifestyle habits. Wellbeing takes a more holistic approach, considering our overall physical, mental, emotional, social, financial, occupational, and spiritual health. Both are crucial for a balanced, happy life, especially in the demanding field of health care. By focusing on both our wellness and wellbeing, we can better care for ourselves, support each other, and provide the best care for our patients.