Hauora/well-being

What is Hauora? It is the underlying concepts of Health Education. It describes a holistic understanding of well-being which means it is all aspects if people’s health. It describes how people’s well-being is made up of a combination of ‘dimensions’

Dimensions of Hauora Physical well-being (taha tinana) Mental & Emotional well-being (taha hinengaro) Social well-being (taha-whanau) Spiritual well-being (taha wairua)

Note: Contrast This concept of Hauora is in contrast to most medical or scientific ideas about Health, which in the past have tended to describe well-being only in physical terms, such as being free of disease or injury, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and exercise and so on.

Whare tapa wha model Health Education uses the whare tapa wha (the four-sided house) model to show how four dimensions of well-being interrelate

Taha tinana refers to physical well-being Includes the physical body, its growth and development, and the ability to move, and ways for caring for the body

Images of Physical Well-being?

Taha whanau Refers to social well-being Includes family relationships, friendship and other interpersonal relationships, feelings of belonging, compassion, and caring and social support

Taha hinengaro refers to mental and emotional well-being includes people’s coherent thinking processes, acknowledging and expressing thoughts and feelings and responding constructively

Taha wairua refers to spiritual well-being Includes the values and beliefs important to the way people live, their search for meaning and purpose in life, and the things that define who they are (their identity) and their self-awareness It can also be about people’s connections with others, with places, with ancestry and the land, and so on

Healthy For a person to be ‘healthy’ or have ‘well-being’, all dimensions need to be in balance. Like the whare, where all of the main structures need to be strong and symmetrical to stop the house from collapsing, the dimensions of a person’s hauora need to be in harmony.

Example 1 Dimensions of Hauora How this could be related to self-worth Taha hinengaro A person has positive self-worth when they have mainly good feelings about themselves and they are in a good mood most of the time. Taha whanau Positive self-worth comes from having healthy relationships with others where there is respectful communication. Taha wairua Positive self-worth is supported when people have a clear sense of what it is important to them – especially what they value highly, what they believe in, knowing who they are as a person. Taha tinana Positive self-worth is enhanced when a person does enough exercise and gets sleep and eats a balanced diet so they way they feel physically does not ‘drag them down’

How the dimensions are interrelated If a person has positive feelings and is in a good mood most of the time, they will get on well with their friends and family. Friends are really important to a person and having a good relationship with them and being able to communicate effectively and honestly helps affirm who a person is and gives the person a strong sense of connection and belonging. When a person has a strong sense of self-worth and feels good about themselves they tend to keep healthy routines – like eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep to maintain these positive feelings.

Example 2 Dimensions of Hauora How this could be related to friendships Taha hinengaro People with healthy friendships who communicate openly and honestly tend to feel less stressed because they are able to resolve conflict by talking about problems. Taha whanau Whanau is about any type of relationship. Close friendships are a very important type of relationship. Friendships are about having someone to talk to and be with so that people can learn more about themselves and what it important to them. They provide a sense of comfort, security, and belonging. Taha wairua Friendships are an important part of a person’s identity because they provide a means to work out what is important – this could be because of things they have in common with others or because of their differences. Taha tinana People may find it easier to participate in regular physical activity because they like to share such times with their friends.

How the dimensions are interrelated Friends are a very important part of people’s lives because friends are the people to talk with and express feelings to, to help resolve conflict and work out problems with, and to just share time with (perhaps doing some physical activity like going for a walk). Friends help a person sort out what is important to value and believe in through communicating ideas and giving honest and constructive feedback.

Activity – My Well-being Select one aspect of your personal well-being that you believe could be improved (eg; your relationship with a member of the family, or your feelings about the way you look, or managing stress more effectively). Using a table format as shown in the ‘Examples’ above:

Describe how each dimension of hauora is in some way related to the chosen aspect of your well-being. Your answer needs to show that you understand which features of well-being each dimensions refers to, and how your chosen aspect of well-being is linked to each dimension of hauora. Describe how all of the dimensions are interrelated in relation to your aspect of well-being.