Ideal Well-Being

Intention:

This exercise is recommended for the early stages of personal reflection on what promotes personal and social well-being. It shows that everyone, regardless of our personal or occupational experiences, has ideas about what would be well-being’s ‘ideal.’ The model generated through this exercise should be revisited and revised as more experiences are integrated.

This exercise can be done individually, or in small or large groups. Individuals or small groups can use the space provided in the next page to write their ideas under each of the headings. In large groups, one person can write on a board the ideas as mentioned by the participants. Another alternative is for the participants to divide into five groups, each group dedicated to one of the headings, and then report their ideas to be discussed as a whole group.

Instruction:

Referring to your personal experiences, imagine and visualize what an ‘ideal’ model of well-being would look like. Without censoring them, list the ideas that occur to you under each of the headings, representing the following aspects.

What- What does well-being mean? What does it include? What is not well-being?

Who- People, characters, individuals, groups, institutions involved

When- The time dimension includes proposing since when, how often, for how long

Where- Places, spaces, settings, physical and environmental contexts

How- How is well-being reached? Desirable processes, methods, strategies

Inspection:

·       Is there a true ideal model for personal or social well-being?

·       How does your model compare with those commonly presented in society, in the media, on social networks?

·       How important is it to be true to your own ‘ideal’ model of well-being?

·       How can your ‘ideal’ model be put into practice?

·       How close to the ‘ideal’ model is ‘good enough’?