5.1 Describe what is meant by ‘personal wellbeing’, ‘self-care’ and ‘resilience’

This guide will help you answer 5.1 Describe what is meant by ‘personal wellbeing’, ‘self-care’ and ‘resilience’.

What is Personal Wellbeing?

Personal wellbeing covers how someone feels about different parts of their life. In adult care, this means looking at the mental, physical, and social sides of how a person feels. It affects how someone carries out daily tasks, connects with others, and manages problems.

Personal wellbeing is not only freedom from illness. It also means feeling satisfied, being able to cope with life’s difficulties, and having a sense of meaning or purpose. This might come from work, relationships, interests, or community involvement.

There are different ways to think about wellbeing. Most commonly, it includes:

• Physical health: staying fit, free from pain, and able to carry out activities.
• Emotional health: feeling positive, being able to control emotions, and having ways to manage stress.
• Social life: having good relationships, friendships, and a sense of belonging.
• Psychological outlook: feeling confident, managing pressure, and believing life has value.

Measuring personal wellbeing is not always simple. People value different things. What improves one person’s wellbeing might not have much meaning for someone else. Personal circumstances, culture, values, and preferences all shape how someone views their own wellbeing.

In adult care management and leadership, you need to understand the personal wellbeing of both staff and people who use services. This understanding helps shape support, policies, and priorities in the workplace.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is about the actions a person takes, day by day, to look after their own health, wellbeing, and happiness. It means recognising what you need physically, emotionally, and mentally, and acting to meet those needs.

Anyone can practise self-care. It is not selfish or a luxury—good self-care is important to keep working safely and delivering care to others. It is even more important for managers and leaders, as others will follow your example.

Examples of self-care include:

• Getting enough rest and sleep
• Eating balanced meals and drinking enough water
• Taking exercise or being active
• Practising relaxation techniques, such as mindful breathing or meditation
• Setting boundaries at work and at home
• Making time for enjoyable activities
• Seeking support when needed, such as talking to a friend, colleague, or professional
• Recognising signs of stress and seeking ways to manage it early

Self-care takes commitment. Often people working in adult care give a lot of attention to others and forget their own needs. Over time, this can lead to tiredness, low mood, or even burnout.

Leaders and managers need to look after themselves and encourage others to do the same. This might mean making space in the work day for breaks, creating a positive atmosphere, or offering staff choices in how work is carried out.

Self-care planning is important. This might mean:

• Spotting warning signs of stress (like poor sleep or increased irritability)
• Keeping track of what helps you recover or relax
• Setting clear times when you are not available for work matters
• Finding support from others, both inside and outside work

Self-care is different for everyone. What works for one person may not suit someone else. Adjust your self-care actions as situations and needs change.

What is Resilience?

Resilience is the capacity to deal with difficulties and adapt well when facing stress, setbacks, or change. In adult care, this is a key quality for everyone, but especially leaders and managers.

Being resilient does not mean never feeling pressure or upset. It means being able to carry on, seek help when needed, learn from challenges, and keep your values and purpose. It includes the ability to recover, sometimes called ‘bouncing back,’ after facing hardship.

Resilience can be built over time. It combines thoughts, behaviours, and supports. Factors that make people more resilient include:

• Good support networks from family, friends, and colleagues
• Skills to manage emotions and thoughts
• Strong personal values and belief in what you are doing
• Optimism and hopefulness about the future
• Ability to set and reach realistic goals
• Ability to learn from past experiences

In a management or leadership role, resilience might mean:

• Dealing with difficult situations, such as staff shortages, safely and calmly
• Handling complaints from those using services or from their families
• Adapting quickly to changes, for example, when new policies or ways of working are introduced
• Offering support to colleagues who are struggling with their own wellbeing

Resilience at work is important for mental health. It can help protect against burnout by helping someone to manage stress before it becomes too much. It supports a positive attitude, which has a knock-on effect on staff teams.

Managers can grow both their own and their team’s resilience. Practical steps include:

• Providing training in skills such as conflict resolution or stress management
• Encouraging open, supportive discussions
• Sharing positive feedback regularly
• Recognising achievements, both small and large
• Making time for informal check-ins where concerns can be raised

Connecting the Concepts

Personal wellbeing, self-care, and resilience are linked. Each supports the others. Self-care strengthens resilience by giving people the tools and habits they need to recover when something goes wrong. Resilience, in turn, protects and promotes personal wellbeing during tough times.

Leaders who care for their own wellbeing set the standard for their teams. Staff who feel well supported are less likely to burn out and more likely to provide good care. In the same way, people who use services rely on resilient, well employees to deliver safe and person-centred care.

A person-centred approach means listening to what each person says about their own personal wellbeing and preferences. It means noticing early signs of distress and working together to address them. In all cases, personal wellbeing is not a fixed state—it can change quickly, especially under stress or when situations change.

Personal Wellbeing in Practice

As a manager or leader, your own personal wellbeing should not be ignored. High levels of responsibility add to the risks of stress, tiredness, or ill health. Role modelling self-care to your team encourages them to do the same.

Organisations should create environments where wellbeing is valued. This might mean:

• Encouraging regular breaks and lunch times away from workstations
• Offering flexible shift patterns when possible
• Promoting everyone’s right to speak up about their mental or physical health
• Running wellbeing workshops or activities for staff
• Providing trained staff to listen and signpost support

Leaders have a duty to look for signs where personal wellbeing might be at risk, whether in themselves, colleagues, or those using services. Warning signs may include:

• Change in mood or behaviour
• High sickness rates
• Poor concentration and decision-making
• Withdrawing from colleagues or avoiding usual activities

Early intervention matters. Sometimes small changes such as adjusting workloads, changing shift patterns, or increasing support can make a big difference.

Self-Care for Leaders

Managers and leaders can be under pressure to appear strong all the time. This can lead to neglecting self-care, as people fear it will be seen as weakness.

Good leadership means taking self-care seriously. Ways to do this include:

• Acknowledging your own limits and asking for help when needed
• Regularly reflecting on your own wellbeing and making positive changes
• Taking time for professional development to build new skills
• Setting realistic expectations for yourself and your team
• Communicating clearly, especially about challenges

Encourage your team to discuss self-care openly. This could involve:

• Group discussions about stress management
• Sharing self-care tips and experiences
• Supporting flexible arrangements when someone is struggling

Promoting self-care in your workplace helps everyone cope better and increases morale.

Building Resilience in Teams

Leadership is more effective when teams are resilient. As a manager, you play a big part in helping colleagues cope with stress and recover from setbacks.

Ways to build resilience in teams include:

• Supporting open and honest communication so concerns are heard
• Having regular supervision these allow staff to discuss worries in a safe way
• Encouraging teamwork and peer support
• Celebrating strengths and achievements
• Training staff to handle change and uncertainty
• Giving clear information about what to expect, especially during periods of organisational change

When a mistake or incident happens, review it in a supportive way. Share learning and make any changes needed without blame.

Resilience is not only about surviving difficult times. It includes growth and learning, so the team comes out stronger and more connected.

Barriers to Wellbeing, Self-Care, and Resilience

There are common reasons why people struggle with personal wellbeing, self-care, or resilience. These include:

• High workloads or staff shortages
• Lack of support, supervision, or guidance
• Feeling undervalued or not listened to
• Blurring of home and work life, especially for those in management roles
• Poor communication or unclear expectations

Managers have a duty to notice these risks and act early. This keeps staff and service users safer and creates a more positive, effective service.

What are the Benefits of Focusing on These Areas?

When wellbeing, self-care, and resilience are taken seriously, everyone benefits. Some positive outcomes are:

• Reduced sickness and absence among staff
• Greater safety for those using services
• Higher job satisfaction and lower turnover among staff
• Fewer mistakes due to tiredness or stress
• Better quality of care
• Stronger, more supportive teams

A workplace where personal wellbeing, self-care, and resilience are strong is more likely to adapt well to change and provide safer, higher quality care.

Final Thoughts

Personal wellbeing is about all aspects of how a person feels and functions. Self-care means taking actions to look after your own health and happiness. Resilience is the ability to cope and grow when things are hard.

In management and leadership, these are not optional extras. They are the foundation for safe, high quality care and for your own professional growth. By paying attention to your own needs and those of your team, you create a culture where everyone can thrive.

Reflect often, take self-care seriously, and always look for ways to build your own and your team’s resilience. Both staff and those using services will benefit from these efforts.