From the Guidelines
To improve life satisfaction, focus on cultivating mindfulness and gratitude through regular practices such as meditation and journaling, as these have been shown to have a positive impact on psychological well-being and overall quality of life 1.
Key Strategies for Improving Life Satisfaction
- Mindfulness practices: Engage in daily meditation or other present-moment awareness techniques to reduce stress and increase appreciation of daily experiences, as supported by studies showing improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety, and quality of life 1.
- Gratitude practices: Develop gratitude by regularly acknowledging positive aspects of your life, perhaps through a daily gratitude journal, which has been associated with increased positive affect and life satisfaction 1.
- Multicomponent interventions: Consider multicomponent interventions that combine mindfulness, gratitude, and other positive psychology interventions, as these have been shown to be effective in improving overall happiness and life satisfaction 1.
- Physical health: Maintain physical health with regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate sleep, as these are essential for overall well-being and can have a positive impact on life satisfaction.
- Meaningful relationships and activities: Cultivate deep connections with family and friends and engage in activities that align with your values and provide a sense of accomplishment, as these can contribute to a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Evidence-Based Recommendations
- Start small: Begin with short daily meditation sessions (5-10 minutes) or gratitude journaling (3-5 things you're thankful for) and gradually increase as you become more comfortable with the practices 1.
- Be consistent: Aim to practice mindfulness and gratitude regularly, ideally at the same time each day, to make it a habit and maximize benefits.
- Explore multicomponent interventions: Consider programs that combine multiple positive psychology interventions, such as the ENHANCE program, which has been shown to be effective in improving life satisfaction 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Strategies to Improve Life Satisfaction
Several studies have investigated strategies to improve life satisfaction, including:
- Emotion-based activities, such as mindfulness, gratitude, and therapy, which have been associated with small improvements in life satisfaction 2
- Exercise, which has been shown to have a small effect on life satisfaction 2
- Socially engaged pursuits, such as spending more time with friends and family, which can predict increases in life satisfaction 3
- Healthy thinking, which involves taking time to think about the good things that happen to them, and has been associated with the greatest difference in life satisfaction between individuals who do and do not practice this behavior 4
- Promoting healthy lifestyles, including adequate physical activity, healthy eating, abstinence from tobacco, limited alcohol consumption, and adequate sleep, which can also contribute to improved life satisfaction 4
Effective Interventions
A rapid systematic review of 234 interventions to improve life satisfaction identified several effective interventions, including:
- Intrapersonal emotional activities, such as mindfulness and gratitude 2
- Emotional skills development training, which has been shown to have a moderate effect on life satisfaction 2
- Multi-component interventions, which can have mixed effects on life satisfaction, but may be effective in certain contexts 2
Personality Traits
Research has also investigated the relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction, finding that:
- Extraversion and Neuroticism are the strongest predictors of life satisfaction at the global level 5
- The depression facet of Neuroticism and the positive emotions/cheerfulness facet of Extraversion are the strongest and most consistent predictors of life satisfaction at the facet level 5
Promoting Equity
To promote population-wide life satisfaction while advancing equity, strategies should address social determinants for members with unmet social needs, provide behavioral and mental health services that benefit members with these needs, and promote healthy lifestyles with an emphasis on healthy thinking for the entire population 4