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Unlocking Mental Well-being: Everyday Behaviors That Boost Happiness

Research from Curtin University has revealed that everyday actions like chatting with friends, spending time in nature, and engaging in mentally stimulating activities can significantly improve mental well-being. The study surveyed over 600 Western Australian adults and found that those who practiced these behaviors on a daily basis scored higher on a standard mental well-being scale than those who did so less frequently.

The research highlighted the importance of social connections, physical activity, spirituality, and helping others in maintaining good mental health. Participants who chatted with friends every day scored 10 points higher on average, while spending time in nature daily was associated with a five-point increase. Other behaviors linked to improved mental well-being included frequent catch-ups with friends, physical activity, practicing spirituality, and engaging in mentally stimulating activities like crosswords or learning a new language.

Lead author Professor Christina Pollard emphasized that these findings offer clear evidence of the power of simple, low-cost actions in promoting good mental health and well-being. “These aren’t expensive programs or clinical interventions,” she said. “They’re behaviors that are already part of many people’s lives and can be easily encouraged through public health messaging.”

The study also evaluated 15 behaviors promoted by the Act Belong Commit campaign and found that mental well-being increased consistently with the frequency of participation in these behaviors. Awareness of the campaign was high, with 86 per cent of participants recognizing it, and nearly all agreed that mental health should be prioritized alongside physical health.

Despite being conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when social interactions were limited, 93 per cent of respondents reported no psychological distress, and average mental well-being scores were comparable to international pre-pandemic norms. Professor Pollard noted that this research provides a strong case for long-term investment in population-wide mental health promotion campaigns that go beyond awareness and empower people to take meaningful action.

“This research confirms that when people are supported and encouraged to engage in mentally healthy behaviors, the benefits can be felt across the community,” she said. “It’s about prevention, not just treatment – helping people stay mentally well before they reach crisis point.”

The article discusses the findings of a study conducted at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) that compared the effects of manual and keyboard training on children’s reading and writing skills. The researchers concluded that children who used their hands to practice handwriting obtained better results than those who typed on keyboards.

The study involved 50 children aged 5-6 years, who were taught new letters and words using either manual or keyboard-based methods. The researchers found that the group that practiced handwriting had a greater ability to identify, write, and pronounce both the letters and the pseudowords compared to the group that used keyboards.

One of the key findings was that the graphomotor function – the ability to make precise hand movements while writing – played an essential role in memorizing letter and word structures. The researchers also discovered that variability in handwriting practice had a positive effect on learning, with children who practiced freely obtaining better results than those who followed guides or used standard fonts.

The study’s lead researcher, Joana Acha, emphasized the importance of prioritizing manual practice in learning processes, stating that “children learn best from hand movements and so technological devices should only be used in a complementary way.” This suggests that while digital tools can be useful for certain aspects of learning, traditional handwriting practices are essential for developing reading and writing skills.

Overall, the study’s findings have significant implications for educators and parents who want to support children’s learning and development. By prioritizing manual practice and providing opportunities for children to engage in free-writing activities, we can help them develop the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

The study highlights that tackling bad habits early on is crucial for a happy and healthy old age. A new peer-reviewed study published in the Annals of Medicine found that smoking, heavy drinking, and lack of exercise are associated with declines in health in people as young as 36. The research team from Finland analyzed data from hundreds of participants who were followed from childhood until their early 60s.

The study used a long-running longitudinal study to track the mental and physical health of participants via surveys and medicals at different ages. Mental health was assessed through symptoms of depression and psychological wellbeing, while physical health was evaluated by creating a metabolic risk score based on blood pressure, waist size, and levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, and other blood fats.

The analysis showed that if an individual had all three unhealthy habits – they smoked, drank heavily, and were inactive – at a given point in time, their mental and physical health were poorer than those who didn’t have these risky behaviors. Depressive symptoms rose by 0.1 points, metabolic risk score rose by 0.53 points, psychological wellbeing fell by 0.1 point, and self-rated health fell by 0.45 points.

Having all three unhealthy behaviors long-term was even more strongly associated with poor health. The effects were apparent by the time participants were in their mid-30s. Lack of exercise was particularly linked to poor physical health, smoking was mainly linked to poor mental health, and heavy alcohol consumption was associated with declines in both mental and physical health.

The study’s lead author emphasizes that non-communicable diseases cause almost three-quarters of deaths worldwide. By following a healthy lifestyle, an individual can cut their risk of developing these illnesses and reduce their odds of an early death. The findings highlight the importance of tackling risky health behaviors as early as possible to prevent damage from building up over the years.

However, it is never too late to change to healthier habits. Adopting healthier habits in midlife also has benefits for older age. The study’s limitations include rating each habit equally damaging to health and only looking at three types of behavior, which should be included in future studies.