Zest is a key ingredient to a good life

Joan M. Cook writes: We can learn to enjoy ourselves, have good intentions, and try to see life as an adventure.

Approaching life with positive expectations, a lofty attitude, and a passion for the many good things in life is associated with it. This personal asset is often referred to as flair, and it can be purposefully developed to help us manage daily stressors as well as create meaningful lives.

The real taste is not due to overstimulation or too much caffeine. It is a cultivated cheerfulness. When we're stressed or not feeling well, it's hard to avoid doing things halfway or half-done. But there are ways we can raise our spirits even when the deck seems stacked against us, the world is full of conflict, and our social media feeds are thick with chaos and gloom.

Psychologists Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman pioneered the field of positive psychology, the scientific study of human flourishing. One of their most notable initiatives was published in 2004, Personality Strengths and Virtues, a ground-breaking text on 24 universal personality strengths. Zest is one of the 24 strengths.

When you cultivate enthusiasm, you want to be fully engaged in life rather than just looking at it from the sidelines, looking forward to each day and waking up anticipating the day's possibilities. Zest is also known as vitality, exuberance, and joie de vivre, the French term for the joy of life.

In an analysis of data from 130 studies involving more than 275,000 people worldwide, most personality strengths were associated with greater mental health. But taste was one of two strengths (the other being hope) that had the strongest relationship with psychological well-being across countries and age groups. Zest contributes to life satisfaction among children, adolescents and adults. Additionally, in a study of nearly 10,000 working adults, those who scored high had higher job satisfaction and were more likely to view work as a calling. People who score high on enthusiasm are likely to find their lives meaningful.

I contacted Ryan Nimick, a psychologist and author of several books, including The Power of Personality Strengths and Personality Strengths Interventions: A Field Guide for Practitioners. Niemiec is the senior director of science and education at the VIA Institute on Personality, a nonprofit organization focused on the science and practice of personality strengths. I asked him about the most effective ways people can increase their zest for life.

"In terms of boosting appetite, I go directly to behavioral activation, one of the most proven strategies for depression," Nimick said. In practical terms, this means taking steps to empower yourself—taking a step forward in raising your energy. He encouraged people to take part in a healthy pleasure, a form of physical activity, and an action that makes you feel like you've accomplished something every day.

Some of us seem to naturally have this irresistible vitality that often brightens up those around us. Others work hard to cultivate taste. Research supports the idea that we're never too old for a change. And we can learn how to cultivate taste.

We can learn to enjoy pleasures, have good intentions and try to see life as an adventure. Other intentional ways to boost our mood include taking a brisk 10-minute walk each morning, doing cardiovascular or strength-building challenges, practicing Reiki or yoga, laughing with friends, and engaging in stimulating activities. The VIA Institute on Personality has activities, workbooks, videos, webinars, and courses, some of which are free, on improving all personality strengths, including flair.

Certainly, practicing passion for life can be more difficult for those with physical illness and pain and those with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. And those struggling to stay motivated may benefit from the help of a mental health professional such as a psychologist, a physical health provider such as a doctor, or a personal trainer or fitness instructor.

For some of us, being hard on ourselves is second nature. We expect our mental health to be strained. Rather than focusing exclusively on the problems with our mental health, one approach is to develop the skills, attributes and perspectives that can help us. Acquiring taste is a valuable investment and may not only help us through challenging times, but help us see the beauty and flourish in our lives and at work.