“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy” as the song goes….
So it’s summer, and maybe you are feeling pretty good. You’ve taken a vacation. Your’re more relaxed, more energized, healthier…
Wouldn’t it be great to feel this way year-round?
This begs the question: What does well-being mean to you?
(Take a minute to think before reading on!)
Most people have some ideas of well-being in common. For example, you might think of well-being as including health, ease, engagement, and/or meaningful relationships.
You might also have some unique thoughts about well-being: attending to good nutrition, being physically active, spending time outdoors, meditation, and/or participating in artistic pursuits are some varied ways people pursue well-being.
Satisfaction with Life
Positive psychologists (psychologists who study and practice approaches to promoting happiness and well-being) often identify satisfaction with life as one key dimension of well-being. (Psychological well-being is another.)
The following “Satisfaction With Life Scale,” is a simple, yet validated, way of getting an overall assessment of your sense of well being.*
Here are four statements that you may agree or disagree with. Using a scale from 1-7 as shown below, indicate your degree of agreement with each item by placing the appropriate number on the line preceding that item. Please be open and honest in your responding.
7 – Strongly agree
6 – Agree
5 – Slightly agree
4 – Neither agree nor disagree
3 – Slightly disagree
2 – Disagree
1 – Strongly disagree
1. ___________ In most ways my life is close to the ideal.
2. ___________ The conditions of my life are excellent.
3. ___________ I am satisfied with my life.
4. ___________ So far, I have gotten the things I want in life.
5. ___________ If I could live my life over I would change almost nothing.
To score this scale, add the numbers to arrive at a score from 5 to 35. 20 is the neutral point. “Normal” scores range from 21-25, indicating that most people are mildly satisfied with their lives. Scores above 20 are increasingly satisfied.
Consider these questions:
- What’s your score?
- What do you think (and/or feel) about that score? (Remember, most people score in the 21-25 range.)
- What would it take to increase your score by 1/2 or 1 point?
- Looking at each question individually, what questions or thoughts come to mind for you?
- How do your ADHD symptoms play into your life satisfaction as measured by this scale?
- What other questions come to mind as you consider your experience with this scale?
If ADHD is having an impact on your satisfaction with life or your sense of well-being, consider working with an ADHD Coach.
*The scale was developed by Diener and colleagues, published in 1985 in the Journal of Personality Assessment, and reprinted in Robert Biswas-Diener’s 2010 book Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching on p. 88 (explanation of scoring revised for clarity.).