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

Aug 26, 2025

Explore the deeper layers of well-being beyond just the absence of stress. It's not merely a feeling but a skill that grows from within. Discover practical tips like nurturing strong relationships, managing tech habits, and reflecting on personal purpose. Learn how connection and shared narratives enrich our lives. Well-being is about personal agency, belonging, and living authentically, making it a multifaceted journey worth embracing.

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INSIGHT

Well-Being Is Created From Within

Well-being is conjured within a person through their actions and mind dispositions.
This reframes support toward developing internal skills, not externally applying solutions.

INSIGHT

Well-Being As Capacity And State

Well-being is not merely absence of illness but a capacity for balance and self-management.
The brain shows well-being is both a state and a developable skill.

ADVICE

Guard Relationships And Screen Time

Prioritize high-quality relationships with people you care about to bolster well-being.
Limit addictive social media scrolling to preserve reflective space and narrative-making.

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### 🧠 What *True* Well-Being Really Means

Most people think of well-being as just the absence of illness or stress.

But neuroscience and social science show it's much deeper — **it's about balance** and the **flexibility to manage yourself**.

#### 🔑 Key Takeaways:

- **Well-being is both a capacity and a state**: It’s not just a feeling, it’s a skill you build.

- **It's created from within**: Through your own actions and mindset, not something applied from outside.

### 💡 Practical Ways to Build Well-Being:

1. **Nurture strong relationships** – Prioritize time with people you care about.

2. **Take control of tech habits** – Limit addictive scrolling and overstimulation.

3. **Do what you love with people you love** – Joy and connection matter.

4. **Reflect regularly** – Ask yourself: What’s this all for? What matters?

5. **Give to others** – Acts of kindness reflect back to us emotionally.

### 🌱 A Modern View of Well-Being Includes:

- **Personal agency** – Feeling in control of your choices.

- **Connection to others** – A sense of belonging and shared meaning.

- **Purpose** – Living in alignment with what matters to you.

- **Shared storytelling** – Creating narratives of meaning and possibility with others.

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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