It might be a bit confusing that there are three similar and closely related terms: “wellness”, “wellbeing”, and “Wellism”. Here, we clarify the differences and relationship between them.
Wellness
Wellness typically refers to the active pursuit of health. It’s the adoption of practices that improve and maintain physical health and emotional health. Wellness is action-oriented and often includes the following:
- Practicing good sleep hygiene
- Preparing and eating healthy nutritious food
- Regular physical activity, including strength training, flexibility and yoga practices
- Incorporating mindfulness and stress reduction techniques
- Following preventive healthcare measures
- Even exploring emerging fields like biohacking and longevity science
Wellbeing
Wellbeing, on the other hand, is a broader and more holistic condition. It is the state and experience that arises when internal and external conditions support human flourishing. It encompasses several layers of life:
- On the personal objective dimension, it includes physical health and the presence of what’s needed for basic survival (such as food, shelter, clothing, safety) and thriving (such as personal tools).
- On the personal subjective dimension, it includes emotional and mental health, self-esteem, satisfaction with life, feeling supported, positive emotions (joy, calm, vitality), a sense of purpose, autonomy, and meaning.
- On the intersubjective dimension, it includes quality relationships, marked by respect, trust, openness, and authenticity, as well as a cultural environment and norms that supports ethical behavior and personal happiness.
- On the interobjective dimension, it includes institutions that contribute to the individual’s flourishing, such as access to healthcare, high quality education, and a beneficial government and economy.
Wellism
Wellism is a comprehensive philosophy of life, ethical framework, and a social movement. It holds that wellbeing, in all its dimensions, should be the central organizing principle of our personal lives, relationships, and society as a whole.
Wellism asserts that:
- Nurturing habits of wellness is important for everyone. Improving one’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health contributes to a healthier society.
- Relating to others should be done with respect and compassion. An individual’s wellbeing is enhanced when caring about everyone’s wellbeing, and utilizing practices such as respectful discussion and compassionate communication.
- Ethics should be grounded in what supports wellbeing. What enhances wellbeing is ethical; what harms it is unethical.
- Cultural narratives should be chosen to enhance wellbeing. The stories we tell ourselves—about success, identity, love, and purpose—can enhance or detract from our individual and collective wellbeing, so we should evaluate and choose them accordingly.
- Social systems should be evaluated by how well they support and protect flourishing. Economics, governance, technology, and education are all tools—and they should be evaluated by how well they serve human thriving.
Wellism is also a social and cultural movement that aims to reorient our priorities: away from systems that prioritize power, superficial profit, or tradition for their own sake, and toward systems that consciously cultivate and sustain life—in individuals, communities, and the planet as a whole.