How Garden Spot Village Harnesses Autonomy, Affiliation and Achievement to Improve the Whole of Well-being
Written by Jackson Esbenshade, marketing intern
Whether you have reached retirement age or are at any other stage of life, there are certain key parts of wellness that must be maintained to promote your overall well-being. Researchers at Mather Institute say that physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, and vocational wellness all play a role in an individual’s overall wellness. If just one of these main parts is off, your whole well-being can be thrown off.
This begs the question: what influences our well-being? What drives, for example, someone to weightlift, in turn improving their physical wellbeing? It turns out there are three main drivers of wellbeing.
Autonomy. As individuals, we tend to need a sense of oneness. That we are significant, independent, and in control. Our brains and our bodies enjoy making our own decisions and using the power we have to live our lives. But this doesn’t come without tension…
Affiliation. Affiliation directly contrasts autonomy and raises a powerful tension. It suggests that as humans, we need a sense of belonging. That we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. A part connected to the whole. We find significance in belonging to a person, a group, a cause, or really anything. While many would see this tension as a contradiction, both ideas can coexist within it.
Achievement. This one dips into the other two a little bit. When we feel like we have accomplished a goal, gained a new skill or ability, or simply feel enabled to take steps towards these goals and abilities, it can drastically affect our well-being. Achievement can come in both a personal setting and, in a group, hence why it dips into the other two drivers.
What’s beautiful about these concepts is that they directly contribute to the person-centered care that Garden Spot Village relies on heavily.
The phrase “abundant opportunities to live with purpose in community” is often used around Garden Spot Village. This is because these words represent some of the same values that the three A’s represent.
“Abundant opportunities” reflects the autonomy provided to residents to choose which opportunities they will take advantage of.
“To live with purpose” shows how these opportunities foster a sense of achievement, whether it’s learning a new skill or finally overcoming a tricky life obstacle.
“In community” clearly fits with affiliation. Our residents enjoy connecting in smaller groups of neighbors or micro-communities as well as living together in the general community.
Garden Spot Village doesn’t just fill up the events page with events just to say they’re doing it right. Instead, the person-centered care model is incorporated intentionally to promote wellness on all fronts. What makes autonomy, affiliation, and achievement so unique is the fact that they impact every aspect of well-being. People desire these three things in their spiritual lives just as much as the physical, and the same goes for each part of wellness. Autonomy, affiliation, and achievement guide the compass of our wellbeing and life at Garden Spot Village.
Jackson Esbenshade, marketing intern, attends Cairn University. Jackson will start his third year at Cairn in August 2026 and is pursuing a Digital and Media Communications degree. He plays baseball for the Cairn Univeristy Highlanders.