Each individual carries a unique combination of needs shaping their wellbeing. Whatever stage you're at, there's a next small step worth taking.
Some people seem to have a greater sense of wellbeing than others. Why? And what can the rest of us learn from them?
"Wellbeing" is increasingly used as a synonym for "happiness", but the two aren't quite the same. Wellbeing covers physical and psychological health, the quality of relationships between yourself and others, your sense of purpose and meaning, and even your financial situation.
Research has identified several things that meaningfully impact your wellbeing — and the good news is they're all within reach. These include practising gratitude, adopting a solution-focused mindset, and strengthening your sense of belonging and purpose.
Gratitude is probably the single biggest thing you could learn to positively impact your wellbeing. It's been shown to improve mood, immunity and sleep. Being thankful changes our brain chemistry — and it's both addictive and infectious.
Focusing on solutions rather than problems is critical to maintaining our wellbeing. Challenges are part of life, but shifting gear to think creatively about how to resolve them is empowering. It also gives you a framework to move through the situation quickly and effectively.
Fundamental to your sense of wellbeing is your support system: family, friends and those you share a sense of purpose with. Belonging to a group makes us feel valued, welcome, accepted and secure. Finding people who share your values dramatically increases your sense of wellbeing.
"Your wellbeing is a journey, and we'd love to be part of it."
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In nature, nothing is simply lost.
A fallen tree becomes shelter. A broken branch becomes part of the forest floor. What appears to be an ending becomes nourishment for something else.
A conch shell resting on the beach has travelled through tides, currents, pressure, and time. By the time it reaches the shore, its journey has left its mark. It has been shaped by everything it has moved through.
And our lives work in much the same way.
The years leave things behind. A disappointment changes what we value. A difficult season teaches us where our limits are. A friendship teaches us how we want to be treated. Failure, if we are fortunate enough to learn from it, becomes a kind of knowledge.
We rarely recognise this while it is happening.
We call it experience. We call it getting older. We call it life.
But look closely and something else is happening: we are accumulating a private body of knowledge that no one can give us and no one can take away.
We learn what deserves our energy. What doesn't. When to hold on. When to let go. When to speak. When to listen. When enough really is enough.
Stop for a moment and look at what we already know.
September's wellbeing calendar, The Wisdom You've Earned, is an invitation to do exactly that. To look back at the experiences that have shaped you, not simply as things that happened, but as things that left something behind.
Life is not only measured by what we achieve. It is also measured by what we learn to understand.


We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise the First Peoples of this Nation and their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to the lands, waters, seas, skies and communities.
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