The WellBalance Model posits that our subjective sense of well-being arises from positive life experiences including caring for ourselves mentally and physically by attending to our minds and bodies, and engaging with others emotionally and tangibly by nurturing positive social relationships and engaging in purposeful activities that contribute to others’ well-being. Additionally, the WellBalance Model aims to encompass the full range of pleasurable hedonic and meaningful eudaimonic positive experiences and feelings, which balances mental and physical activity and stimulation with savoring and mindful engagement, and rest and reflection.

Each item of positive experiences corresponds with a body of evidence supporting the positive impact of these activities and experiences on subjective well-being and human flourishing. More frequent positive experiences correspond with more frequent positive feelings, which together correspond closely with an individual’s self-reported subjective wellbeing or flourishing. Specific categories of positive experiences are more likely to correspond with the adjacent categories of positive feelings, and the more categories of positive experiences and feelings an individual frequently has, the greater their overall wellbeing and resilience to life stressors.