How we fundamentally misunderstand ‘well-being’ | Mary Helen Immordino-Yang

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

Cultivating your own well-being does not mean getting rid of discomfort, according to neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang.

Immordino-Yang is a professor of education, psychology, and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, and she has spent years researching what makes one “well.”

Turns out, true well-being comes from balance and flexibility, not just from filling your life with positive experiences. Immordino-Yang suggests a few practical tips for maintaining this balance, such as prioritizing quality relationships, monitoring our social media usage, and engaging in activities that bring joy and reflection.

We can’t fully eradicate suffering, but we can accept it and choose to grow through it. By welcoming healthy levels of discomfort and taking agency over our own activities and habits, we can achieve wellness as it was meant to be achieved - as a state of being, not a destination.

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About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang:

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, is an expert on the psychological and neurobiological foundations of social emotion, self-awareness, and culture, and how they impact learning, development, and education.

She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education, a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE).

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[Amor_fati.Memento_Mori]

Well-being for me is being healthy. Mentaly Healthy, Physically Healthy, Financially Healthy ( Very Important) and Socially Healthy. I think Well-being brings happiness.

[moin]

How to support your well-being (summary of the action items):
1. Prioritize the quality of your relationships.
2. Set yourself up to have control over addicting behavior (e.g., social media) --> definition of addictive activities: Activities that you make you want more and pull you out of a situation where you can reflect and just be.
3. Privileging the things you really enjoy doing with the people you like to be with.
4. Taking the time to reflect.
5. Giving to others.
6. Engage with others.

[hoseinayan]

summary: well-being is not a purpose it's a process

[mohamedalitoufahi]

The start of the video pointed out a rather interesting idea. The ability to manage oneself. I think that's key for people with anxiety or traumatic flashbacks. If they control the frequency of those events, and carve enough time, to their judgement, of play and pleasure and fun and connection, their heallthy and less healthy parts can coexist, and without even starting to think about how that's able to kick start healing, even if it never happens, they'll have been living in a state of well being already. And that's a dose of hope for the human kind.

[andreicojocaru]

Imagine a time when wellbeing is an abstract concept which does not come natural anymore, but it has to be overstudied, deconstructed and explained.

[-qu]

Well-being is a transient state. Not having access to inner monologue (learning disability), when I reverse my learning disability, my anxiety and any depression I may have had at the time is gone, instantly, everything opens up and can grasp the world around me and communicate with people in real-time without struggle, I get to experience true well-being and it is amazing. Then I slip back to my limited state and my well-being transparently dissolves.

[Bodyknowledge]

This existence is a simply complicated process..

[bitofwizdomb]

Experiencing joyfulness and thriving in life as opposed to pain and suffering (physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically etc).

[MD-buxc]

I like what she says. It resonates for me.

[HakuCell]

it's not complicated, well-being is when you feel well.

[mikemo]

I'd love to see entire entire of her video clips is 10/10....her method and capacity for communication is exceptional.

[BH-BH]

I thought it was the presence of authentic intimacy and community - and an environment that values them

[iainmackenzieUK]

Funny how i do benefit from videos like this on youtube, whilst also recognising my addiction to the medium...

[sophiaisabelle]

Well-being is an abstract concept. It encompasses our own state of mind, our souls, and the the overall state of the quality of our spiritual growth and progress.

[violetafarcas]

I disagree with the long held view on prioritising relationships. One can be perfectly well without having relationships with others. If my relationship with myself is great, then so will my way of relating to the people around me would be.
Some people don't have families or friends, and it doesn't mean that they're mentally ill - on the contrary

[berger]

I think the biggest problem of men for well being is not releasing suppressed emotions! I know a alot of men who never learned that and even see it as weak or unnecessary but if you feel depressed or feel constantly emotionally drained maybe try that first.
You must feel emotions to let them out otherwise they hide and grow stronger and eventually explode.
Let them out! Even if it sounds cringe: cry if you feel sad, sing, even scream as steve jobs did. Trust me you will feel much much better!

[dima-rafael]

What impact have a financial status on well being?

[mpozad]

Two first names and 2 last names says it all.

[pete-manley]

People worry and strive to attain an elusive ‘normal’ that simply doesn’t exist. We are all ‘normal’ because we are all different.

[abgzulkifli]

Don't let them win, let me first...