What We Mean by Veteran Wellbeing

When we talk about veteran wellbeing, we often focus on mental health. That is understandable, given how many people who leave the Armed Forces face anxiety, depression, or trauma. But while mental health is an important part of the story, it is not the whole story. Wellbeing is not simply the absence of distress; it is the presence of meaning, connection, and purpose. It is what allows a person not only to recover but to live fully again.

In my own work and research, I have seen how easily the terms mental health and wellbeing are used interchangeably, even though they describe different things. Mental health often refers to the management or reduction of symptoms, whereas wellbeing asks a broader question: what helps people to thrive? For veterans, that question becomes deeply personal. Life after service can bring profound change and uncertainty, with the end of military life often meaning the loss of routine, structure, and identity. Rebuilding a sense of purpose and belonging becomes central to the process of recovery.

Wellbeing, in this sense, is multidimensional. It involves pleasure and satisfaction, meaning and growth, and a feeling of connection to others. These are described in psychology as hedonic, eudaimonic, and psychosocial forms of wellbeing. In practice, they often overlap.

Hedonic wellbeing is about the feel-good moments, the laughter, the calm, and the sense of pride in doing something meaningful. Many veterans find this through heritage engagement: the satisfaction of working on a project, the focus of using familiar skills, or the joy of shared achievement. These experiences lift the mood, reduce stress, and bring back moments of lightness that may have been missing.

Eudaimonic wellbeing runs deeper. It is about fulfilment, growth, and rediscovering purpose. It is the understanding that a meaningful life is not only about happiness but about alignment between one’s values and actions. For many veterans I work with, heritage often becomes the bridge to this sense of purpose. It offers the opportunity to contribute, to feel useful again, and to reconnect with something larger than oneself. Many describe how engaging with history helps them make sense of their own story. The process of working with the past becomes a way of re-authoring the present, turning experiences of loss or trauma into narratives of growth and understanding.

Then there is psychosocial wellbeing, which brings everything together. This is about relationships, trust, and belonging. During service, camaraderie is not just a feature of military life; it is its foundation. When that is lost, the absence is felt deeply. Heritage projects often recreate this social fabric: teams working together, supporting one another, and finding value in shared effort. In those spaces, people begin to feel seen and connected again. That sense of belonging becomes an anchor. It reminds veterans that they are still part of something bigger, even when the uniform is gone.

Across my research and practice, one idea keeps coming back: true wellbeing is about flourishing. It is about rediscovering identity, feeling capable, and finding meaning in the everyday. It is possible to experience distress and still have moments of growth and connection. This is what psychologists call the dual continuum of mental health and wellbeing, the understanding that healing is not a single path but an ongoing process of balance and renewal.

Wellbeing for veterans, then, is not achieved solely through clinical treatment, though that has its place. It is built through purpose, connection, and participation. Heritage, like other forms of meaningful activity, provides the structure and space where this can happen. It gives people permission to reflect, to contribute, and to rediscover who they are beyond their symptoms.

That belief lies at the heart of The Mimir Collective. Our work explores how reflection, evidence, and storytelling can help people and places flourish. We believe that wellbeing cannot be prescribed; it must be discovered through experience and supported by environments that allow people to reconnect with themselves, with others, and with the stories that make them who they are.

For veterans rebuilding their lives after service, this reconnection can be transformative. It shows that wellbeing is not about returning to who you were before but about growing into who you are now. Heritage, in all its forms, offers that bridge: a way to remember, to belong, and to move forward with renewed purpose.