What does Well-being mean at Akoio?
Well-being is one of the most broadly used terms in the health and wellness spectrum. Well-being could take on different meanings for everyone, so let’s start by using a resource we trust, the CDC. Sounds pretty great, right? According to the CDC, “There is no consensus around a single definition of well-being, but there is general agreement that at minimum, well-being includes the presence of positive emotions and moods (e.g., contentment, happiness), the absence of negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety), satisfaction with life, fulfillment and positive functioning. In simple terms, well-being can be described as judging life positively and feeling good.”
In our general terms, well-being is the feeling of comfort, happiness and healthiness. While this seems simple, achieving it can pose some challenges. For one, there are two distinct categories: mental well-being and physical well-being.
Mental well-being can be described as how we feel, how we manage our emotions, how we connect with others and how we make good, sound decisions. (Ahh, sound decisions - we are going to circle back there in a moment.)
Physical well-being refers to your lifestyle to support healthy behaviors around diet, sleep, exercise and disease prevention. While that may seem cut and dry, there are endless opportunities for overlap. Ever heard of binge eating due to being in a fragile emotional state? That can sabotage both your mental and physical well-being, a double whammy. On the flip side, has your mood ever been boosted by a great physical workout? Endorphins, anyone?! Yes, please.
What does sound have to do with my well-being?
Let’s get back to the idea of “sound” decisions. Yes, we know this is a play on words here…but have you given any thought to how sound makes you feel? Sound (aka noise) can affect you mentally and physically, both positively and negatively. A quick example, imagine yourself on a beautiful summer evening, taking a ride in a car with all the windows down blasting your favorite song, singing at the top of your lungs, on your way to meet up with your best friend… idyllic. You are so happy in this moment.
But then all of a sudden you come to a halt in rush hour traffic. There are cars honking all around you, perhaps a few dirty looks given by other motorists and you are all of a sudden raging. This feeling may carry-over into the time spent with your friend. Maybe you make a decision to eat that fried chicken instead of that salad you were planning on having. (We love you, fried chicken. Just saying.) Perhaps you ordered an extra cocktail even though you are getting back into the car to drive home afterward. Is this an extreme example?
Yes. But is it real? Also, yes.
Akoio wants to help you identify how sounds affect you so we can assist in boosting the good sounds and helping mute the negative ones in your life. We believe that in order to achieve whole body wellness, you must consider your own sound wellness.
