Wellbeing

For a long time, psychologists who studied mental health mostly focused on mental health challenges. That is to say, we studied what causes people to have problems. Of course, understanding problems is important, so we can do a better job of preventing them, but it ignored the other side of the coin: in addition to preventing problems, how do we promote positive outcomes? Fortunately, there are many psychologists who focus on the science behind promoting well-being now too.

The field of positive psychology has expanded drastically over the past decade. And – no surprise – just like every other behavior, well-being is influenced by our genes, as well as our environments.

How do our genes impact life satisfaction?

It turns out that some of us are just naturally disposed toward a rosier outlook on life, and less at risk for mental health challenges that can interfere with well-being.

But just because subjective well-being is impacted by our genes doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of things we can do to support and enhance our well-being. In fact, our research has shown that people who are more at risk actually benefit most from environmental interventions! 

So, practices to support well-being can benefit all of us, but are particularly important for people who aren’t as naturally predisposed toward happiness.

My favorite resource for evidence-based practices to increase well-being

The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. You’ll find blogs, quizzes, podcasts, books, courses, and monthly happiness calendars. There’s something for everyone!