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It’s the trend of the moment. Personal well-being is now presented as a holy grail, in a society where meaning is gradually disintegrating in favor of omnipresent productivity. This famous know-how that encourages us to no longer “be”…
And yet, even though wellbeing appears to be a driving force today, it seems that our health is not improving. This is the result of an international study* conducted by Edelman Data & Intelligence in fifteen markets, between April 22 and May 30 of this year. In its report entitled “Global Wellbeing Report 2024”, the research and analysis consultancy agency highlights that for 4 years, global wellbeing scores have stagnated, without any notable variation: 66/100 today compared to 65/100 in 2021, even as we were emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paradoxically, it is the pressures exerted by society to “be well” that fuel a cycle of generalised malaise, underlines the Belgian media RTBF .
Exhaustion when you hold us
According to the results of the study, a constant pressure to maintain or improve their level of well-being, with regard to specific factors, is felt by 61% of individuals. Today, one in two people (45%) suffer from what is called “well-being burnout”, triggered by this injunction to be well, without really knowing or understanding how to take care of oneself. The manifestations of this burnout? A state of intense fatigue, let’s say, exhaustion, both physical and mental due to prolonged stress but also to an inability to meet the expectations of others. Also according to the report, 63% of individuals suffering from this burnout feel completely powerless to improve their well-being. It’s the snake eating its own tail.
And it is the younger generations who are the most impacted. 76% of Generation Z and 71% of millennials say they feel increased pressure, compared to only 41% of baby boomers, indicates RTBF . A pressure that would result from unrealistic societal expectations, a strong feeling of isolation and contradictory information.
But how to get out of this infernal whirlwind?
The study highlights small, simple actions to break out of the cycle of unhappiness.
- partitioning private and professional life: +13% well-being
- agree to take a break from social networks: +9%
- spending time in nature or breathing the fresh air: +18%
- walking, less than 15 minutes per day: +13%
- practice mindfulness: +12%
While this injunction to “be well” seems more and more pressing, the essential thing, more than ever, remains to be able to define one’s own balance; between personal needs and external expectations. Without which, well-being would become an additional source of stress.
* the study was conducted on a sample of 1000 people per market, 2000 for China, (i.e. a total of 16000 people). These people are representative of the general population in terms of age, gender and income
