4 ways to boost your psychological wellbeing

What is psychological wellbeing?

Many people think that if they don’t suffer from a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, then they must be psychologically well. However, as we saw in the previous blog post, positive mental health is not just the absence of illness. Similarly, psychological wellbeing and psychological illness are not simply two sides of the same coin. Instead, it seems that they are (at least partially) distinct. In the same way that you can be physically unfit even though you are not suffering from any physical illness, being free of mental health illness does not guarantee that you are thriving psychologically.

So what does it take to be psychologically well?

According to psychologist Felicia Huppert psychological wellbeing “is the combination of feeling good and functioning effectively” (1).

Feeling good refers to experiencing positive emotions, such as happiness and contentment, and life satisfaction. This is often termed ‘hedonic wellbeing’ which can be defined as the happiness we get from experiencing pleasure and avoiding pain.

While hedonic wellbeing might be what most people associate with positive mental health, functioning effectively, which is linked to 'eudaimonic wellbeing’, is equally as important. Eudaimonic wellbeing is the “happiness or contentment that is achieved through self-actualization and having meaningful purpose in one’s life” (APA). Functioning effectively at a psychological level involves many different things. The psychologist Carol Ryff suggested that six factors contribute to our psychological wellbeing: self-acceptance, autonomy, mastery, personal growth, positive relationships, and purpose in life (2). Each of these factors is explained in more detail in the image below and the more these factors are present in our lives, the higher our (eudaimonic) psychological wellbeing. 

How to improve your psychological wellbeing

Now that you have read about what psychological wellbeing is, you might have recognised that yours has some room for improvement. If that’s the case, here are some simple things you can do to feel and function better (at least psychologically speaking, although it is likely that the benefits will spill into other areas of your life!):

1. Connect with others

It is becoming increasingly clear that loneliness is linked to poorer physical and mental health. So much so, that loneliness has been named the “hidden killer’’ and has been reported to be as bad for our health as “alcoholism, smoking and over-eating” (3). This might not be that surprising when you consider that feeling connected and valued by others is a fundamental human need and helps us function well in society.

Given that social connections are critical to promoting our psychological wellbeing and protecting us from mental illness, here are some simple things you can do to connect with others and build stronger relationships:

• Make time to spend with loved ones each day, whether that’s going for a walk or sitting down for dinner together.

• Reach out to a friend that you haven’t spoken to in a while.

• Talk to someone instead of texting or emailing them and turn off distractions, like your notifications or the TV.

• Offer to help someone who needs support or company

• Speak to someone new, such as the barista at your local café or a fellow dog walker.

• Take the time to find out how someone is (really) doing and (really) listen to their reply.

Something to keep in mind when it comes to your psychological wellbeing, is that it is the quality, rather than the quantity, of your relationships matters. So while social media can be a great way of making connections, try to not rely on it alone as it cannot fully substitute the benefits of offline quality time.

2. Learn something new

Learning new skills can help increase your self-esteem and build a sense of purpose and achievement. It’s also a great way of connecting with others who are interested in similar hobbies or topics. If you’re not sure how you can bring learning into your life, here are some ideas:

• Sign up for a class or workshop. There are thousands of classes both online and offline, such as cooking classes, stand-up comedy courses, and pottery workshops to name a few.

• If classes and workshops are too expensive or inaccessible, turn to free video tutorials. Nowadays you can find a video on YouTube covering almost every DIY project and hobby.

• Do you love reading or would you simply like to read more? Consider joining a book club.

• Take on a new role at work, such as mentoring new starters, or in your community, like volunteering at a local charity.

Something else that can help boost your psychological wellbeing is identifying your strengths. Take a moment to reflect on your achievements and pinpoint what helped you succeed on those occasions. Another way you can identify your character strengths is by taking a short survey, such as the VIA Survey. According to the field of Positive Psychology, recognising that you have something to offer the world and using your strengths regularly can help you flourish in life and improve your wellbeing. This exercise can also help you identify if there are any areas for improvement and explore what activities could allow you to develop these qualities and abilities.

3. Practise mindfulness & meaningfulness

There is growing evidence that mindfulness and meaningfulness can enhance your psychological wellbeing (4, 5). Mindfulness refers to being present as well as curious, open, and accepting towards your experiences in the present moment. It has been associated with a range of benefits, including improving mood and reducing stress (1). On the other hand, meaningfulness relates to finding significance and purpose in your life and has also been linked to many benefits, such as a higher quality of life and positive wellbeing (5). 

While mindfulness and meaningfulness are skills that take practice, here are some things you can start doing to find more mindful and find more meaning in your everyday life:

• Check-in with your body. Your body is constantly communicating with you and learning to listen to it can also help you take better care of yourself.

• Notice your surroundings, whether that’s the colour of the leaves on your walk to work or the people sitting across you on public transport.

• Identify which activities align with what’s important to you and be more intentional about what you engage in. For example, instead of scrolling mindlessly through social media, call a friend, write in your journal, read a book or go for a walk.

• Press pause. Instead of rushing through your day, try to take some time to enjoy the moment. This could include savouring your morning cup of coffee or tea, smelling your favourite candle, or enjoying a long cuddle with your child or pet.

4. Live purposefully

Having a sense of purpose in your life is powerful. It helps you set meaningful goals and motivates you to work towards them. In addition to giving you direction in life, research has shown that purpose helps people be more resilient to obstacles and challenges (6).

While it might feel like a daunting task, there are many ways that you can create a sense of purpose and build a more meaningful life. Here are some questions to get you started:

• What kind of person are you and what kind of person do you want to be?

• How could you use your strengths and interests do to good?

• What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

• How could you find purpose in your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities?

Once you have answered these questions you can use them to establish meaningful goals which can give you purpose in your everyday life. If you would like to know more about this topic, I would encourage you to read The Power of Meaning: Finding fulfillment in a world obsessed with happiness by Emily Estafani Smith which is an incredible guide on how you can lead a more fulfilling life.

The Takeaways

• Psychological wellbeing is not the same as being free of mental illness.

• According to psychologist Carol Ryff, there are six factors that contribute to our psychological wellbeing: self-acceptance, autonomy, mastery, personal growth, positive relationships, and purpose in life. Generally speaking, the more these factors are present in our lives, the higher our psychological wellbeing.

• While there are many ways that you can boost your psychological wellbeing, we explored how connecting with others, learning new skills, practising mindfulness and meaningfulness, and finding purpose in your everyday life can help you feel and function better.

References

1. Huppert, F. A. (2009). Psychological well‐being: Evidence regarding its causes and consequences. Applied psychology: health and well‐being, 1(2), 137-164.

2. Ryff, Carol D. "Psychological well-being in adult life." Current directions in psychological science 4, no. 4 (1995): 99-104.

3. Derbyshire D. Loneliness is a killer: It's as bad for your health as alcoholism, smoking and over-eating, say scientists. Health mail online, updated 9:36 GMT. 2010. Jul 28

4. Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., ... & Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine, 174(3), 357-368.

5. Crego, A., Yela, J. R., Gómez-Martínez, M. Á., & Karim, A. A. (2020). The contribution of meaningfulness and mindfulness to psychological well-being and mental health: A structural equation model. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21(8), 2827-2850.

6. McKnight, P. E., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Purpose in life as a system that creates and sustains health and well-being: An integrative, testable theory. Review of General Psychology, 13(3), 242-251.