What are the best ways to improve your wellbeing and happiness?

Let’s not bury the lead here: the latest research shows that it is possible to build your own wellbeing… but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. 

Researchers at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and Flinders University have conducted the largest ever meta-analysis of wellbeing studies from around the world to answer the question, ‘What’s the best way to build personal wellbeing?’.  

Their analysis included 400+ clinical trials involving more than 50,000 participants. Researchers divided people into three main groups, those in generally good health, those with physical illness and those with mental illness. 

“During stressful and uncertain periods in our lives, pro-actively working on our mental health is crucial to help mitigate the risk of mental and physical illness,” said Joep Van Agteren, co-lead at the SAHMRI Wellbeing and Resilience Centre. “Our research suggests there are numerous psychological approaches people should experiment with to determine what works for them.” 

However, all the interventions share a common need for consistent and prolonged practice for them to be effective in improving wellbeing. “Just trying something once or twice isn’t enough to have a measurable impact,” said co-author Matthew Iasiello from SAHMRI. “Regardless of what method people are trying out, they need to stick at it for weeks and months at a time for it to have a real effect.”  

6 Ways to improve your wellbeing 

So, what did the research show can make an impact on wellbeing? 

The study shows that in addition to seeking out professional help when distressed, there are many practical steps people can take to improve their wellbeing and prevent mental health problems. 

“Implementing such interventions can be done safely for individuals on their own or in a group format, either in person or online,” said Professor Michael Kyrios from the Órama Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing at Flinders University. “It is therefore potentially a cost-effective addition to current referral pathways and treatment methods.” 

Here are the six proven ways to improve wellbeing: 

1. Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness, using techniques such as meditation and conscious breathing, was found to be effective at increasing wellbeing for all participants 

2. Meaning: Working on your sense of purpose* 

3. Kindness: Performing small acts of kindness* 

4. Gratitude: Keeping a gratitude journal*  

5. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): this was proven to be beneficial for many people with mental illness 

6. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): this was most useful for those in generally good health 

*Important note: these were all shown to be effective in combination, but not individually. 

Researchers believe these results highlight the need for a change of tactics in how society cares for people’s wellbeing, whether they’re living with a mental illness or not. 

“We need to take everyone’s wellbeing seriously and ensure we’re taking the necessary steps to improve mental and physical health so we can prevent future complications for ourselves and keep healthcare costs down,” Prof Kyrios said. 

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and weekly email newsletter for regular updates and news!