In the kaleidoscope of personal growth, happiness, and fulfillment, the twin concepts of well-being and well-becoming emerge as guiding stars, illuminating the path to a richer, more meaningful existence. But despite sometimes being used interchangeably, these two harbor distinct Ii. Not only are they uniquely descriptive of specific dimensions of life, they can be applied separately as well. So, let’s take a look at each concept and how they each, and together, paint a holistic picture of your life.
What is Well-Being?
Your well-being encompasses the overall state of your health, happiness, and prosperity. Well-being reflects the current condition of your physical, mental, and social dimensions. A person experiencing well-being is likely to have a sense of contentment, good health, and positive relationships. It is often influenced by external factors such as living conditions, social relationships, and financial stability.
Well-being can be measured both subjectively and objectively. Questions like, “how are you feeling today?” or “rate your energy on a scale of 1 – 10” are taking a snapshot of your current state. And, of course, your well-being changes over time. For example, if you’re struck down by a bad cold or are going through a breakup, your temporary well-being will likely suffer.
What is Well-Becoming?
On the other hand, well-becoming extends beyond the present state and delves into the process of personal growth and development. Well-becoming is a dynamic concept that emphasizes the journey towards a more evolved and authentic self. It involves continuous self-discovery, learning, and the pursuit of one’s potential. Well-becoming acknowledges that individuals are in a constant state of flux, and the emphasis lies on the unfolding of one’s true nature over time.
While well-being focuses on the immediate and observable aspects of an individual’s life, well-becoming considers the transformative process and the realization of one’s latent abilities. Imagine if you make a habit out of daily meditation and reflection. Regardless of whether you’re having a “good” or “bad” day, these practices will help you on your well-becoming journey and seek to impact the long-term dimensions of your self-actualization.
How Do They Interact?
Both well-being and well-becoming play vital roles in fostering a holistic approach to life. Achieving a balance between the two involves recognizing the importance of immediate contentment and satisfaction (well-being) while actively investing in personal growth and evolution (well-becoming). It shouldn’t be surprising that they impact one another. Engaging in personal growth can lead to better decision making that influences your day-to-day well-being, and vice versa.
Let’s say you’re constantly feeling stressed at work. You do some deep self-analysis and realize that you can easily accomplish your goals, while having more time for friends and family, by taking on a less demanding role. Or, maybe it’s not the work quantity, but the quality that creates the feeling of stress. Regardless, you use this information to change to a role that both meets your goals and alleviates your stress. By actively engaging in well-becoming, you are likely to experience a deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose, contributing to your overall well-being in the long run.
The inverse is also true: if you’re feeling good, you’re more likely to self-develop. Increasing your baseline well-being doesn’t have to be connected to larger goals. Staying hydrated, getting a daily walk in, and checking in with loved ones are all short-term mood and health-boosters. Yet, you may also find that the increase in quality of life gives you more bandwidth and clarity to think about long-term personal growth. Perhaps it’s on one of those daily walks you realize you’ve been wanting to go back to school!
In Practice: Maximizing Both Well-Being and Well-Becoming
The first step is to answer some questions about your life and patterns. Depending on your style, you may be someone who already journals daily, or, you may be terrified of actually answering the question “how are you?”. Maybe you have a 5 year plan, or maybe you don’t even know where you’re going to be next week.
In either case, it’s best to start small, with daily or weekly check-ins regarding your core well-being dimensions (health, happiness, satisfaction, stress) to see if any patterns arise over a month or so. Then, once you have a good understanding of your day-to-day, you can dig into deeper self-analysis: Who are you? What matters in your life? What makes you feel fulfilled and safe? What would you like to accomplish? How would you like to grow?
With your well-being and well-becoming in better focus, the next step is to transform your life for the better. You’ll be able to make decisions that really align with your highest good, whether in the short or long-term. This process may not be easy: it may uncover some hard truths and even traumas that have shadowed your path. If you realize that you haven’t pursued certain opportunities due to a fear of failure, for example, some deeper healing may be needed before you can truly take flight. The beautiful part? The concept of well-becoming includes this internal work just as much as outside goals.
If this sounds daunting, don’t fear: this is exactly where holistic coaching can help. A skilled holistic coach serves as a supportive guide. They provide a safe space for you to discuss both your immediate concerns and also dig into your aspirations and roadblocks. Holistic coaching goes beyond mere goal-setting; it delves into the core of your being, acknowledging that well-being and well-becoming involve not just temporary feelings and external achievements but also the internal shifts necessary for lasting transformation.
Do You Feel Inspired to Attend Your Well-Being and Well-Becoming? Book a consultation to explore your lifepath with a renowned holistic coach.
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Citations:
Richard Cowling, W. (2022). The Soul of Nursing. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 40(4), 308-309
Freysteinson, W. M., Enzman Hines, M., Wind Wardell, D., Friesen, M. A., Conrad, S., Zahourek, R., … & Prather, J. G. (2023). Identifying Holistic Nursing Research Priorities for 2023–2026. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 08980101231213725
Rosa, K. C. (2023). Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Patient’s Perception of Nurse-Patient Relationship as Healing Transformations Scale (RELATE Scale). Advances in Nursing Science, 46(3), 333-345
