Wellbeing is not just a matter of choice – it’s a systemic condition!

In recent years, wellbeing has often been framed as a personal choice or an individual responsibility.

Something you can cultivate, improve, or achieve on your own.

In reality, however, wellbeing is not formed in isolation. It is shaped by the conditions in which we relate to others, work and make decisions.

When systems apply constant pressure, disconnect people, or drain their energy, wellbeing is no longer a matter of will - it becomes a matter of context.

This article explores wellbeing not as a luxury, but as a systemic condition.

Is it possible to live well, even in a complex world?

This is a critical question - and one that finds answers in the longest-running study on human wellbeing ever conducted.

The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which began in 1938, followed the lives of hundreds of individuals and their children for nearly a century.

The participants’ lives - not just their opinions - became the laboratory of the study.

What this landmark research offers is not theory.

It is lived human experience.

Who truly thrives — and under what conditions?

A recent global study connected to this research was published in Nature Mental Health, combining responses from more than 200,000 people across 22 countries.

While many of us might assume that wellbeing flourishes primarily in countries with strong economies, the findings challenged this assumption. Countries such as Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Israel ranked highly in wellbeing.

What did they have in common?

Strong social bonds, collective orientation, and a sense of purpose - not necessarily high income.

Mental health and high-quality relationships are key

The study confirms that the quality of relationships - not their quantity - is the strongest predictor of long-term wellbeing.

People with supportive relationships showed better memory and physical health in their 80s compared to those who experienced loneliness or ongoing conflict.

Toxic relationships don’t only wear us down emotionally — they exhaust us physically as well.

Mental health also emerges as a critical factor, particularly for younger people in developed countries, where loneliness and emotional depletion are increasingly widespread.

The three pillars of wellbeing

The research distills wellbeing into three core pillars:

1. Love and human connection

2. Meaning and purpose in life

3. Emotional and physical health

Reflections that matter...

❖ If wellbeing is not an individual project, but the outcome of relationships, roles, and conditions, then it cannot be treated as a purely personal matter.

❖ The question is not only how much people can endure, but what the systems around them are demanding.

❖ And perhaps, before asking individuals to become more resilient, we should ask what needs to change in the context itself.

#StartToGROW

Sources & Influences

Harvard Study of Adult Development

The longest-running longitudinal study on human wellbeing, ongoing since 1938. It explores the lives of hundreds of individuals and their children, offering empirical insight into how relationships and life context impact wellbeing and long-term health.

Nature Mental Health (2023)

Large-scale study with data from 200,000 individuals across 22 countries. Results highlight that high-quality relationships, collective belonging and meaning have a stronger influence on wellbeing than income or financial security.

→ Aknin, L. B., et al. (2023). “Social connections, purpose, and well-being: Global insights from 22 countries.” Nature Mental Health, 1(1), 1–9.

EY Greece, Hellas EAP & National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)

Mental Health & Wellbeing of Employees in Greece – 2025 Report

A joint research initiative with 4,457 participants from both public and private sectors, assessing 9 wellbeing dimensions such as anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, and attitudes toward hybrid work.