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. 2022 Dec 21;13:1018620. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1018620

Table 2.

Definitions of wellbeing dimensions and their themes, with quotes from regular AYPs and frequencies.

WB Dimensions Themes Representative quotes N % (*)
Physical Being free from and able to manage physical suffering “Freedom from illness and pain” 27 15.61%
“Free of disease or illness or at least able to manage any illness or symptoms in a constructive manner”
“Managing any medical conditions and staying healthy”
Having a functioning body, responsive to internal and external demands “Able to perform daily tasks fully” 25 14.45%
“To have a body that is capable of doing the things you need to do to stay connected and in balance”
“Well functioning body systems”
Having a sense of health and positive physicality “Feeling fit and strong in my body” 81 46.82%
“A feeling of wellness within the physical body (i.e., fit, strong)”
“Healthy, active, strong, flexible”
Consciously and actively inhabiting the body “Looking to make the best choices and decisions to promote my best physical being” 40 23.12%
“Being able to do the things I want to do with this body”
“Being content in my own skin”
Emotional Being able to experience positive affect and the absence of negative affect “Feeling calm and content” 57 30.81%
“Feeling safe and at peace”
“Having a positive outlook, not feeling down or other negative states of being. Feeling buoyant”
Being able to embrace emotions, valuing negative affect and challenges “An understanding and acceptance of emotions and the importance of both pleasant and unpleasant emotions” 24 12.97%
“Not necessarily feeling joyful all the time, but being able to appreciate that all emotions, positive and negative, play a role in making life what it is”
“Internally balanced and able to cope with external situations”
Having emotional awareness and regulation “Able to feel, understand and process emotions and ability to regulate them when necessary” 51 27.57%
“Being in touch/aware of your emotions and displaying them in appropriate manners”
“Being able to understand the emotional state you are in, and cope with changes to that in a good way”
Having emotional meta-awareness and an overall sense of balance and steadiness “The state of ones emotions - is there stability? Are they positive/negative? How quickly do they return to homeostasis?” 53 28.65%
“A balanced state of mind which does not get caught up, strong enough to see the truth”
“Being at peace with my emotions, live them and let them go”
Psychological Being free from and being able to manage mental suffering “Absence of psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety” 30 15.31%
“Well in the psyche. Active participation with healing and processing”
“Not experiencing the symptoms of mental illness, or being able to monitor and be aware of it.”
Having a strong sense of identity and self “Not identifying myself with darkness in my mind, being able to accept the shadows” 62 31.63%
“Being comfortable with who you are and what you are doing”
“Having resilience to deal with the many curveballs that come your way. Never doubting that you are strong enough to deal with them”
Experiencing a sense of mental steadiness “The mind can go towards anxiety and for psychological wellbeing, I believe that is essential to learn how to breath and calm the mind” 58 29.59%
“Having an even temperament when faced with all of life’s offerings”
“Being strong and balanced mentally and in my thoughts”
Engaging in the contemplation of the self “How you interpret reality, how you respond to the external world, how you imagine yourself to be in the world” 46 23.47%
“Working to become the observer. To truly understand where my psychological baseline is and then be the observer of my “psychology” outside of that”
“Being able to take the observer’s viewpoint when it comes to thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, events and experiences.”
Social Presence of social connections and social competence “Having people around me” 38 17.76%
“Friends, family, significant others”
“Being able to interact appropriately in a social environment”
Feeling connected and attuned to others and to the environment “Being connected and of service to my community” 42 19.63%
“Connected with others in meaningful relationships”
“Functional and positive interpersonal relationships, connection to a community, contribute to others’ welfare, receive help and support”
Having high quality interpersonal relationships “Our capacity to foster meaningful relationships and sense of belonging within a chosen community/society” 99 46.26%
“Having a strong group of friends that you trust and can rely on, and in return providing the same for them”
“The ability to form healthy mutually enriching relationships, altruism, empathy, kindness”
Engaging in the contemplation of the social self and relationships “Actively co-creating with others, using community to mirror back to one’s self areas for improvement” 35 16.36%
“Balancing social life and essential alone time”
“Having healthy boundaries”
Spiritual A sense of connection to oneself and to an individual purpose and meaning in life “Knowing your purpose and living (towards) it” 81 38.03%
“Feeling your own energy, find calm amidst the ego”
“Being able to live a life of grounded ease, comfortable in your own skin. Being accepting of your strengths and weaknesses, but also improving/fine tuning actions as well. This is a constant work in progress, daily honest reflection is required.”
A sense of connection to others and to the environment “How I’m connected to the world outside of my mind/body” 28 13.15%
“Feeling connected to the Earth and all its beings”
“Feeling like you belong to a bigger whole than just yourself (nature for me)”
Engaging in the contemplation of the self and connection to the transcendental self “Keeping a strong relationship with my soul, contemplate myself and life itself” 52 24.41%
“Connection with the higher self”
“Connected to what is, not identifying with the ego”
A sense of connection to the divine and to a higher purpose and meaning “Feeling the presence of the Supreme around you” 52 24.41%
“Our connection with, and awareness of, what exists beyond our individual and collective physical existence”
“Able to practice and apply dharma teachings in daily life”

*Percentages were calculated based on the total mentions (N) within each dimension.