Approaches to wellbeing vary depending on experience, age or lifestyle. Against this background, the Wellbeing Score survey has allowed to define and describe five profiles, namely Soloists, Naturenthusiasts, Introspective, Realists and Holists. How do they take care of their wellbeing? What areas of wellbeing do they pay special attention to and with what results do they nurture it?
Internal and external areas of wellbeing
In the course of research on the wellbeing of Poles conducted by Benefit Systems in cooperation with Natalia Hatalska’s infuture.institute, six elements of wellbeing were identified in two areas – internal and external.
Elements of wellbeing in the internal area, related to the individual and their activities:
physical health – proper diet, adequate sleep, physical activity, preventive healthcare;
mental health – stress regulation, work-life balance, time for yourself;
inner peace – living in harmony with one’s beliefs, pursuing passions, feeling a sense of meaning in life.
Elements of wellbeing in the external area, related to the environment:
comfort of life – financial independence, adequate housing, a sense of security;
relationships with others – interpersonal interactions, satisfaction from establishing relationships, sense of cultural belonging;
contact with nature – the impact of nature on wellbeing, accessibility and proximity to the natural world.
The results of the research are summarised in the report “Wellbeing of Poles”. The level of wellbeing in each area was determined using Wellbeing Score, an innovative tool for comprehensively measuring wellbeing.
Five approaches to wellbeing
The average wellbeing value in Poland was 4.9 on a 10-point scale. This means that as a society we still have something to work on. And how do we approach this challenge? Experts point out that we are very diverse on this issue. In the course of their research, they identified five profiles showing how we differ in our approach to wellbeing and care for its various elements.
Experts distinguished the following groups:
Soloists
Naturenthusiasts
Introspective
Realists
Holists
Representatives of each group shape their wellbeing differently, focusing on different elements. The approach to wellbeing depends on a number of factors, including life experiences and the current situation which individuals find themselves in.
1. Soloists – in search of relationships
This is the only group whose wellbeing ranks well below average, at just 4.0/10. The reason for this is the largely neglected area of relationships with other people – the Soloists are single people, albeit professionally active. Even the fact that they are trying to take care of mental health does not enhance their sense of wellbeing.
30% of Soloists experience prolonged states of stress, and 41% sometimes lose the meaning of life. 52% of the people in this group are women. In terms of age, it is the most diverse profile – the largest number of Soloists can be found in the 55+ age range (27%), but there are also quite a few younger people (19% of them are 25-34 years old).
2. Naturenthusiasts – calm and satisfied
Naturenthusiasts take care of all elements of their wellbeing, scoring above average. The most important thing for them is mental health, inner peace and contact with nature. The results obtained in these areas are similar, indicating a close correlation between them and affecting their quality of life.
The majority of Naturenthusiasts are men (51%). As many as 60% of people in this group are 55 and older. On the other hand, however, more than half of Naturenthusiasts (58%) feel younger than their biological age would indicate. They are active, pursue their passions and are not overloaded with stress. As a result, their wellbeing level is above average, at 6.4.
3. Introspective – focus on development
The Introspective focus primarily on taking care of the elements that make up the internal area of wellbeing (mental health, physical health and inner peace). And they do it so successfully that their scores in these three areas are well above the national average (7.8-8.2) and the highest among all groups.
As with Naturenthusiasts, more than half are 55+, but at the same time as many as 68% of the Introspective feel younger than their age would indicate. The group is predominantly female (53%). One in three people (38%) are actively working on themselves and their development. The result? The wellbeing level is significantly higher than the average, at 6.9.
4. Realists – life under control
Realists are concerned about taking care of the comfort of life and feeling in control of it. How do they do it? They actively take care of themselves and their development. In the internal area, mental health, inner peace and physical health are most important to them (range of responses 6.7-8.0).
Ultimately, this translates into a higher level of wellbeing than the average (6.7 on a 10-point scale). The group is predominantly female (52%), and the majority of Realists (31%) are aged 55-64.
5. Holists – comprehensive measures
Holists try to take care of all elements of wellbeing in a comprehensive way. It is noteworthy, however, that they take better care of internal areas (mental and physical health, inner peace) – the range of responses in them is similar, at 7.5-7.8.
The group is heavily dominated by women, accounting for as much as 73%, with the largest number of people aged 55+. The holistic approach to wellbeing makes its level among Holists above average (6.6).
The importance of relationships for improving wellbeing
Of all the groups identified, Soloists, with a score of 4.0/10, have the lowest sense of wellbeing. On the other hand, it shows the importance of relationships with others in strengthening wellbeing. Meanwhile, as the report shows, as many as 33% of Poles have no one to turn to, and nearly 40% feel alone. This translates into other elements of wellbeing, especially the areas of mental and physical health.
The data in the “Wellbeing of Poles” report reflects the picture for the general Polish population. At the individual level, it is crucial to examine one’s own wellbeing and determine which areas of life require special attention. This is made possible by the Wellbeing Score survey, which is available on the MultiLife platform. This is an online survey, after completing which each person will receive expert recommendations. They will allow to improve the level of wellbeing in selected aspects.
