Approaching life with positive expectations, a get-up-and-go attitude, and eagerness is related to many good things in life. This individual asset is often referred to as zest, and it can be purposefully developed to assist us in managing daily stressors as well as creating meaningful lives.
True zest is not due to hyperarousal or too much caffeine. It is a cultivated cheerfulness and joy. When we are stressed or not feeling well, it’s hard to avoid doing things halfway or halfheartedly. But there are ways we can increase zest even when it seems like the deck is stacked against us, the world is filled with 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 the highlights of their initiatives was published in 2004, Character Strengths and Virtues, a groundbreaking text on the 24 universal character strengths. Zest is one of the 24 strengths.
When you cultivate zest, you’ll want to fully engage in life and not just view it from the sidelines, look forward to each day, and wake to anticipation over the day’s possibilities. Zest has also been referred to as vitality, exuberance, and joie de vivre, the French phrase for the joy of living.
In an analysis of data from 130 studies involving more than 275,000 people around the globe, most character strengths were associated with greater mental health. But zest was one of just two strengths (the other is hope) that had the strongest relationship to mental well-being across countries and age groups. Zest contributes to life satisfaction among children, adolescents, and adults. In addition, in a study of nearly 10,000 employed adults, those who scored high on zest had higher work satisfaction and were more likely to view work as a calling. People who score high on measures of zest are also more likely to view their lives as meaningful.
I reached out to Ryan Niemiec, a psychologist and author of several books, including The Power of Character Strengths and Character Strengths Interventions: A Field Guide for Practitioners. Niemiec is the chief science and education officer at the VIA Institute on Character, a non-profit focused on the science and practice of character strengths. I asked him about the most effective ways people can increase zest in their own lives.
“In terms of boosting zest, I turn straight to behavioral activation, one of the most proven strategies for depression,” Niemiec said. “In practical terms, this means to take action in some way to boost oneself—to take that one step forward in lifting one’s energy.” He encouraged people to engage every day in one healthy pleasure, one form of physical activity, and one action that makes you feel like you accomplished something.
Some of us seem to naturally have this irresistible aliveness, often invigorating those around us. Others work hard to cultivate zest. Research supports the idea that we are never too old to change. And we can learn how to cultivate zest.
We can learn to savor pleasures, set good intentions, and try to view life as an adventure. Other intentional ways to potentially lift our spirits include taking a brisk 10-minute walk every morning, doing cardiovascular or strength-building challenges, practicing Reiki or yoga, laughing with friends, and engaging in stimulating tasks and work. The VIA Institute on Character has activities, workbooks, videos, webinars, and courses—some of them free—on improving all the character strengths, including zest.
To be sure, practicing a zest for life can be harder for those who have physical illness and pain and those who engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. And those striving for zest under these circumstances may benefit from assistance from a mental health professional like a psychologist, a physical health provider like a physician, or a personal trainer or fitness instructor.
For some of us, being hard on ourselves is second nature. We expect our mental health to stretch under strain. Rather than exclusively focusing on what’s wrong with our mental health, one approach is to develop skills, traits, and perspectives that can help us. Acquiring zest is a worthwhile investment and may help us not only through challenging times, but also help us to see beauty and soar in our lives and workplaces.