As a dimension of well-being, purpose refers to a sense of clarity concerning personally meaningful aims and values that one is able to apply in daily life.
Heightened states of purpose foster the self-perception that one
both has aims and values and is able to embody them. This self-perception leads one to perceive meaning and significance in one’s life and pursuits. States of diminished purpose may involve a lack of clarity concerning one’s aims and values, or the perception that one has clear values and aims but is unable to embody them.

New York University

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

In response to a perceived absence of any unifying framework that clarifies the dimensions of human flourishing that can be actively cultivated, researchers identified four core dimensions that are central to the subjective experience of well-being. The practice of these four dimensions can be strengthened through training. 

1. Awareness 
2. Connection 
3. Insight 
4. Purpose 

Four Dimensions of Well-being 

Dahl, C. J., Wilson-Mendenhall, C. D., &amp; Davidson, R. J. (2020). The plasticity of well-being: A training-based framework for the cultivation of human flourishing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(51), 32197–32206. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2014859117 

The plasticity of well-being: A training-based
framework for the cultivation of human flourishing

Awareness is a dimension of well-being and an aspect of mindfulness that refers to heightened and flexible attentiveness to perceptual impressions within one's environment, including internal cues such as thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. In therapeutic mindfulness, awareness is imperative in observing what causes the individual to engage in certain behaviors. 



Awareness - Dimension of Wellbeing

Purpose - Dimension of Wellbeing

Insight as a dimension of well-being refers to self-knowledge concerning the
manner in which emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and other factors are
shaping one’s subjective experience, and especially one’s sense
of self. States of insight thus reflect an experiential understanding
of one’s own psychological processes and how the dynamic interplay of these processes influences experience.  

Insight - Dimension of Wellbeing

Connection as a dimension of well-being refers to a subjective sense of care and kinship toward other people that promotes supportive relationships and caring interactions. This may occur through positive social perceptions, such as gratitude and appreciation, as well as perspectives of shared humanity toward those outside of one’s immediate social circles.

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