Well-being is a term that is familiar to most people. That hasn’t always been the case, though. There was a time when, especially in the workplace, nobody talked about how anyone felt. The focus was on what we did, how efficient and effective we were and whether we were capable of performing at a higher level.

Yes, the idea of engagement between the company and its employees was considered desirable, but the notion that companies would make themselves even partly responsible for employee wellbeing is a relatively new concept.

It can take a while for a new idea to be fully embraced and as people engage with a new concept and discuss it, they find different possible meanings and interpretations. When they find one they like, they tend to stick with it. Others may continue exploring and hence the labels come to have different meanings to different people or carry different connotations.

In the case of Wellbeing as a concept, I suspect it means a very wide range of things to people. Everything from ergonomic desks and chairs to mental health interventions and many varied points in between.

I also suspect that it’s defined more by its absence that its presence.

What do I mean by that? I mean we notice when people are not taking care of their wellbeing rather than when they are taking care of it.

If someone is working excessively long hours and is becoming irritable and jumpy, you notice. If someone is working at home, alone, for long periods and is becoming withdrawn and uncommunicative, you notice.  If someone is suffering from a heavy cold and is still attempting to do their job, you notice. If someone always seems to be eating, you notice.

The question is, do you notice when someone is making sure their schedule includes regular exercise? Or when they are eating a healthy diet? Do you notice when someone is getting home in time to have dinner with their family? When they get enough sleep? Probably not.

Wellbeing only becomes a talking point when it’s obviously absent.

There are lots of great things that companies do to support and encourage the wellbeing of their people. But fundamentally, each person is responsible for their own wellbeing. Only you can make sure you get enough sleep or exercise. It’s your choice what you eat and drink. You decide when to stop work for the day (within reason) and you decide how much time you spend chatting with colleagues. Companies can provide opportunities for you to make good choices, but they can’t do it for you.

And if all those things are you choice and under your control, how do you decide?

A lot of people only really get an understanding of an aspect of their physical or mental health when it starts to be a problem. A person with an injured knee will become very aware of how they move or sit and the consequences for their injured knee. They may also gain an understanding of how they can prevent similar injuries occurring in the future.

A person with a stomach condition will become aware of the effect of different foods, the quantity and timing of eating and so on.

Very few people are aware of the effect of their behaviour on all aspects of their health. And I’m not really suggesting you should be. What I am suggesting is this:

Work out your own indicators of wellbeing. How do you know that all is well with you?

Is it about your energy, your motivation or how well you sleep? Is there a clue in your appetite or how far you can run? Do you laugh or sing more when you feel good?

In other words, what are the things you do when all is well, that you do less of (or not at all) when your wellbeing has taken a hit?

Once you know your own indicators of wellbeing, monitor them. Check in at the end of the day, or the beginning. Ask yourself, how am I doing?

Notice what you do when things are not well with you. Do you put off going to bed by watching trash TV or scrolling through your social media for hours? Do you eat or drink too much? Do you play computer games or withdraw from social activities?

Track the effect of pressure – do you respond to a tight deadline by drinking too much coffee, eating doughnuts or snapping at colleagues? How can you choose something else?

What happens when you travel? Do you abandon your exercise regime or your healthy eating plans? Or does the thrill of visiting somewhere different give you a lift in spirits every time?

When you know the signs to look out for, you can begin to notice the elements of your work and routine that disrupt your wellbeing and those that support it. You can plan ways to mitigate the effects of the disruptive elements.

For example, as someone with an introverted personality type, I love running workshops and training programmes but it tends to be tiring. While I’m in the thick of a programme I don’t focus on myself much, but I know that once I’ve waved everyone off and packed up my kit, I’m going to need some ‘down time’. Because of that I’m unlikely to accept a social invitation for the evening after a training event. Unless I know I can take time the next day to recharge the mental batteries.

And over the years, I’ve learned that I can maintain my energy for longer if I take ‘mini-breaks’ during the day. For example, at lunch, I listen rather than talk, unless someone asks me a direct question.

I have a client who used to travel a lot as part of her job and she took her running kit everywhere – and used it! She worked out that exercise was a great way for her to rebalance and she found it stressful when she didn’t have access to a gym, so she picked a form of exercise that she could do anywhere. As an added bonus, she would see some of her surroundings when in a foreign city.

Wellbeing is personal. It’s highly individual and it’s mostly a matter of choice. Of course, there are times when your boss might be putting you under pressure to deliver and you’re a bit stressed. That’s life, isn’t it?

The real value of taking your wellbeing seriously is that it enables you to ‘pull out all the stops’ occasionally without any ill-effects. And that can be a significantly rewarding experience, which adds to your overall wellbeing instead of it being a nightmarish period of your life that is best forgotten.

Your wellbeing is up to you. At least, that’s what I think.  How about you?