Collection

Well-Being – Collection

Since antiquity, philosophers, leaders, and ordinary people have pursued and struggled to define well-being; what is a “good life,” and how do we live it? As our social worlds and values continue to evolve, our collective ideas about well-being are changing: well-being is no longer solely a personal endeavor, but a systemic one as well. Wellness, both physical and mental, is now increasingly understood as a product of individual practices and the constraints (or facilitators) in our digital, social, and physical environments. 

We’ve started to shift away from the hustle culture #grindset attitudes that prevailed up until recent years, where well-being fell secondary to productivity. Instead, behavioral scientists, corporate leaders, policymakers, and innovators are prioritizing well-being and looking for ways to build wellness into our daily lives. Yet questions and challenges still remain; who gets to experience wellness and how do we measure it? What does wellness look like with AI and digital technologies changing the ways we live? Amidst high rates of burnout and isolation, when is well-being a personal or collective responsibility?

Below, explore a curated collection of resources that dive into the complexities of well-being, from its basic social foundations to workplace wellness and designing scaled wellness interventions. 

The Social Foundations of Well-Being

Friendship group 

In some ways, well-being is contagious; for every happy friend we have, our chances of happiness increase by 15%. Friendships are uniquely personal, shaping our lives, our moods, and our overall wellness as voluntary connections outside of externally defined relationships. 

For the Love of Friendship

Friendships may seem straightforward, but they can be some of our most elusive, complex, and underappreciated relationships. In the midst of the “friendship recession,” investing in intimate platonic relationships is an often overlooked way to nourish our mental and physical health.

Psychological Safety

Teams that feel safe to share their ideas and take risks without fear of punishment are less stressed and more engaged in their work. Whether at summer camp or in an architecture firm, psychological safety supports happier individuals and higher-performing groups.

Wellness In and Out of the Workplace

How to Keep Work Meaningful in the Age of AI 

Over 80% of workplaces have integrated AI into their toolkits, helping human employees save time and make better decisions. Like any new relationship, it’s not always a guaranteed fit; AI systems need to be implemented mindfully to ensure employees feel valued and connected to their work. 

The Art of Taking Vacation 

Detaching ourselves from work is much easier said than done, and stress about ongoing projects or leaving paradise can often infiltrate our off-time. Getting the most out of our vacations and fighting off post-break blues requires intentional planning and the willingness to fully log off. 

Internal CSR: How to measure employee engagement to improve corporate social responsibility 

Organizations often focus corporate social responsibility efforts outwards, paying less attention to employee well-being. For many burnt-out employees, this “ethical” branch of CSR can even decide whether they stay and get support or leave altogether.

The key to high-performing teams? Psychological Safety

Well-being in the workplace goes beyond PTO and perks; feeling safe to make mistakes and voice differing opinions is critical for employee wellness. Cultivating psychological safety among employees facilitates authenticity, improves performance, and boosts innovation for the entire team. 

Give me a break

Taking intentional breaks throughout the day can reduce stress, support our physical health, and boost productivity. Individual planning and organizational culture can help breaks become second nature; our bodies, brains, and bosses will thank us. 

Designing Systems for Collective Well-Being

Improving Well-Being Apps

How does well-being become a habit? Well-being apps have significant potential to improve our long-term wellness, but only if users stay engaged. By personalizing user experiences and leveraging insights from behavioral science to facilitate habit formation, developers can turn digital tools into real-life impact. 

Building Societies that Thrive, Not Just Survive: A Behavioral Science Perspective

To create thriving societies, we need measures that go beyond dollars and life expectancy to tell us more about well-being and life satisfaction. New frameworks measuring subjective well–being on a national scale are helping policymakers to design societies that don’t just live long, but live well too. 

Supporting Our Frontline Workers With Behavioral Science 

Essential service workers are a pillar of our societies, yet face some of the most strenuous, precarious, and isolating working conditions. This piece explores a variety of interventions to improve the physiological and psychological wellness of some of our most under-appreciated community members. 

Rethinking Purpose and Pleasure

Hedonic Treadmill 

Major life events and higher achievements can make us happier momentarily, but the “hedonic treadmill” says we usually return to a baseline level of happiness eventually. In the pursuit of long-term well-being, developing mindfulness and finding purpose often beats out short-term pleasure.

From the perfect life we don’t have to the good life we could: Paul Dolan 

Taking control of our own well-being means defining wellness for ourselves and realizing that we can have a happy life without achieving a perfect one. Public policy that aims to meaningfully improve well-being should make room for diverse ideas of purpose and pleasure. 

The stories we tell at work with Grace Lordan

While our well-being is closely linked to external factors, we often forget how much our own perspective and outlook on life affect our happiness. Revising our internal narratives about our work opens up possibilities for self-confidence, systemic change, workplace diversity, and improved productivity. 

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