Toolkit – wellbeing indicators

View our list of indicators
Sharpham Trust forest

The Good from Woods wellbeing indicators draw on and were developed in association with the NHS/New Economics Foundation’s 5 steps to wellbeing: connect, be active, keep learning, give to others, take notice.

Below is a list of these, including some additional indicators added by Good from Woods practitioner-researchers. These indicators can help you to make sense of the evidence of wellbeing that you gather and see patterns in how people experience wellbeing.

When doing your research it may be tempting to add many extra indicators, but these may make drawing out themes and research conclusions difficult.

You may prefer to use other existing scales such as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) often used in schools, or the Warwick-Edinburgh mental-wellbeing scale.

Good from Woods - wellbeing indicators

Psychological wellbeing – positive functioning Feelings of being in control
Feelings of being competent (and seen by others to be competent)
Energetic
Purposeful
Developing oneself
Connecting with others through shared beliefs and outlook
Secure with personal limitations
Emotional wellbeing Experiencing positive emotions and moods
Absence of negative emotions and moods
Feeling even tempered
Relaxed
Optimistic about the future
Social wellbeing Feelings of being confident
Feelings of being accepted
Safe and supported within and through social relationships
Supporting others through social relationships
Physical wellbeing Feelings of physical health
Confidence in and enjoyment of physical activity
Feelings of physical comfort
Biophilic wellbeing – connection to nature Feelings of closeness to the natural world
Being engaged in a relationship with nature