How our health affects our wellbeing

If someone asked you today if you were healthy, you’d probably do a scan of your body, consider whether you were sick or not, and weigh up any ailments. But “health” is more than just the absence of disease or illness, and our wellbeing is more than just our physical health.

“Health is a core part of our wellbeing,” says Dr Kate Lycett, lead researcher of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index. “If we don’t have a good sense of health, that impacts everything.”

So what exactly makes us healthy, and how does it affect our Real Wellbeing? 

The importance of health and wellbeing 

It may seem obvious to say that health plays a role in our wellbeing. And certainly, the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index—a 25-year study into the wellbeing of Australians, conducted in partnership with Deakin University—recognises health as one of the foundations of wellbeing. But health is not the only factor that contributes to our overall wellbeing.

In addition to health, the Wellbeing Index identifies six other life areas of personal wellbeing, including relationships, standard of living, community connectedness, personal safety, achieving in life and future security.

“When we look at people who have high levels of wellbeing, often they’re people who don’t have as many chronic health conditions. Those health conditions can get in the way of them living their best life,” says Kate. 

“People who are struggling with physical or mental illness are likely to have lower levels of wellbeing, and I think one of the main reasons we see that is because it’s more challenging for those people to work on the other areas that contribute to overall wellbeing.”

It’s why the Wellbeing Index also defines “health” as more than just our physical health, or the absence of disease.

Someone with “good health”—the kind that has a lasting impact on our satisfaction with life—has both good mental health and good physical health, allowing them to live a full and active life.

Can health decline while wellbeing rises?

Illness and pain can cause anxiety and stress, leading us to worry about our future and potentially making us feel like our lives have narrowed—and, in turn, reducing our satisfaction with our health. But these factors affecting our health don’t necessarily reduce our overall wellbeing.

In fact, according to the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, life satisfaction can continue to increase even as physical health decreases. The data shows that people over 65—whose physical health is naturally declining with age—report the highest levels of life satisfaction compared to all other age groups.

For younger Australians, the picture looks quite different. “What we’re seeing now in the Wellbeing Index and other global research is that young people are really struggling,” says Kate.

The traditional “U-shape” pattern of wellbeing—with a midlife dip that is thought to be caused by the competing demands of career, mortgage, family and caring responsibilities—is changing. Recent AUWI surveys show personal wellbeing remaining relatively flat between ages of 18 and 54, before rising steadily across older age groups. With Australians aged 75 and over reporting the highest levels of personal wellbeing.

“It’s an interesting time because we’re seeing almost a horizontal line that [suddenly] rises steeply with age.”

So while physical health is important, it is one of a complex series of factors—including mental health—that shapes our wellbeing. 

Why health and wellbeing matter: Michael’s story

Michael*, an Australian Unity customer, has always enjoyed good health, which means he’s been able to have a full and active life. However, he is aware that it will require ongoing maintenance as he ages. “You’ve got to be fairly fit and also adaptable if you want to travel around the world, or travel anywhere really,” he explains.

When discussing the determinants of health and wellbeing, he explains that it is more than just not being sick, it’s about maintaining the happiness you find in activities and other things you love in your life.

“It’s being able to go through the full range of motion with your body, just being able to participate in the things that I enjoy without being restricted by health issues,” he says. Michael believes that trying to maintain good physical health allows him to have good social and mental health, too.  

Daily habits for health and wellbeing

So how can we support our wellbeing through our health? The physical side of our wellbeing is quite clearly defined, through healthy eating, exercise, getting enough sleep, treating ailments and illnesses appropriately, and so on. But good health also requires attention to our mental and social wellbeing, with improvement in one area of health typically leading to gains in the others. In fact, some countries are going so far as to “prescribe” social activity as a way to improve health and wellbeing.

Social connections and personal relationships can be key to supporting good mental health, as they foster a sense of inclusion and community connectedness. Research has also shown they can lower rates of anxiety and depression, promote stronger self-esteem and empathy, strengthen immune systems and help us to live longer. 

Being “not sick” is not always enough for us to actually “feel good”. Instead, our health encompasses physical, mental and social wellbeing. When we tend to each of these areas, we build greater resilience to setbacks, and are able to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

*Name changed at request of interviewee.