Virtues in the World: Reimagining Wellness

There is a global transformation taking place in the world of wellbeing. More and more, we’re discovering how intentional connection to ourselves and others is a matter of public health. 

This December, Virtues Matter was a sponsor at the 2021 Global Wellness Summit with fellow international thought leaders. The pandemic opened our eyes to a more subtle epidemic - that of loneliness and disconnect - and the effects it has on success, performance, and happiness globally. 

The conference was enlightening and hightlighted major trends in wellbeing:

• From Mia Kyricos, we gained a holistic perspective on how our workplaces, organizations, and communities serve as ecosystems of wellbeing. In business, leader wellbeing, employee wellbeing, customer wellbeing, community wellbeing, and planetary wellbeing are all interconnected. 
• From Richard Davidson, we learned how wellbeing is a skill like playing the violin. A practice as short as 5.5 minutes a day can create a healthy mind. 
• From Andrew Huberman and our partner Sandy Abrams, we learned about the power of breath and why breath-work is one of the groundbreaking trends in the world of wellness. The focus of our Good VIBES Breathe Lounge Experience was to bring people a mindful experience of connection that brought together the serotonin, dopamine, and positive language of a Virtues Pick with the power of mindful breathing. 

Our big takeaway - we, as individuals, families, communities and nations, need wellbeing more than ever. Wellbeing is for everyone, and our role as thought leaders is ensuring everyone has the understanding, tools, and communities they need to thrive. 

With the leaders at the Summit, we’re committed to bringing virtues to the forefront and creating a restored world for all. 

Why Virtues and wellbeing? 

When you intentionally practice and connect to your gifts such as gratitude, empathy, and resilience, you rewire your brains, change your lens and language, and transform your communities. 

Research shows that….

• An intentional practice of Gratitude is linked to improved sleep, better physical health, and deeper social relationships 
• Hope is correlated to positive outcomes such as better academic achievement, improved cardiovascular health, and lessened anxiety. 
• Generosity is linked to higher levels of happiness, increased quality of life, and improved self-esteem

 And that’s only three virtues! For each virtue, there is a wealth of research on how cultivating these qualities has a transformative effect on health and wellbeing. 

A New Era of Wellbeing

The theme of the 2021 Summit was A New New Era of Health and Wellbeing. For us, this new era means we achieve wellbeing together and appreciate how we’re all connected. 

Personal practices - like meditation, yoga, and journaling -  can have significant impact. But wellbeing isn’t just something to achieve alone. You can transform your workplace, school, and communities into spaces where you restore your wellbeing with others. 

Stay tuned to see how we’re bringing centering wellbeing for the educators, young people, and communities who need it most - and welcome to a new era.