Experts say ‘flourishing’ may be the key to mental health. Here’s how to achieve it

The impact of poor mental health on the body is well known: research has shown prolonged increases in levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can, over the long term, affect the cardiovascular system and contribute to a host of issues that can shorten life expectancy.

But an emerging area of interest looks at the other side of the coin: can prioritizing mental well-being be a key driver of better physical health and longevity?

While mental health training for physicians has traditionally focused on identifying distressing emotions, more attention is being paid to “defining what good mental health is, and how to maintain it,” says Dr. Andrew Morgan, psychiatrist at Cleveland Clinic Canada, Manulife Canada’s medical director. “While we often talk about physical health and mental health as two separate things, they are closely intertwined. Mental health impacts every system in the body.”

Research is showing that proactively maintaining good mental health could add not just years, but good years, to your life. One study, conducted by the University College London as a part of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, followed almost 10,000 men and women age 50 and over for up to seven years. It associated positive well-being with a lower risk of death over the study period – and this effect was greater when well-being was sustained over time.

A key takeaway from studies such as this is that clinicians are seeing good mental health as a broader concept than simply being “happy,” says Dr. Morgan. “Happy” is essentially a short-term emotion. Instead, he says we should think more about “flourishing” – finding sustainable ways to cope with stress, feel confident and able, learn well, work well and contribute to your community.

A roadmap to ‘flourishing’

That may sound like a tall mountain to climb, but you can build a solid foundation for “flourishing” by consciously building small habits that improve mental wellness into your day-to-day. Dr. Morgan points to the PERMA model – developed in 2012 by Dr. Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association and the father of “positive psychology” – as a good roadmap.

The “P” in PERMA stands for positive emotions. “The more we can do to be present in positive emotion, the better,” says Dr. Morgan, “whether that’s consciously taking time to reflect on satisfying times from the past or living in a positive moment.”

The “E” stands for engagement – find a hobby or pastime, big or small, that inspires wholehearted participation. It’s all about feeling absorbed in a rewarding or challenging activity and focusing entirely on what you’re doing, whether it’s being immersed in a crossword puzzle, gardening or playing pickleball.

Positive relationships (“R”) involve fostering connections not only with family but with friends too, says Dr. Morgan. “As adults, it’s easy to drift away from nurturing supporting relationships. We need to be consciously investing in them.” Find ways to lock in seeing friends – even if it’s just setting reminders in your calendar to reach out to a buddy or ask a colleague to have coffee.

Meaning (“M”) refers to the need to have a sense of value, worth and belonging. What are you doing in life that is worthwhile, gives you a sense of purpose and contributes to the bigger picture? In practice this can be as simple as supporting causes you believe in or coaching youth sports.

And finally, the “A” is linked to Accomplishment, or goal setting. Building new skills is an important part of well-being, at all ages, Dr. Morgan says. Those goals can be bigger, like learning a new language, or even just regularly trying new recipes.

Of all of these behaviours, Dr. Morgan feels making time for a positive social life ranks especially high. Data from the 2023 Manulife Wellness Report revealed that 52 per cent of working Canadians reported feeling a lack of social connection, which Dr. Morgan says is “strongly associated with many negative health outcomes,” including increased risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and depression.

How to build habits that support mental wellness

Much as you might start jogging to prevent heart disease, or improve your diet to help ward off diabetes, experts are recognizing the value of approaching mental wellness with a “preventive maintenance” mindset more and more. So how do you take a roadmap to “flourishing” and turn it into daily practice?

Some may find it easy to reorient their thoughts and behaviours. Others may need some starting support. “Therapy and counselling can help tease apart thoughts and feelings and put things in some kind of order to take action and work on an improvement plan,” says Dr. Georgia Pomaki, Director, Mental Health Best Practices, Canadian Disability at Manulife Canada and an instructor at Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences. “It all starts with just having a conversation.”

Dr. Pomaki says it’s a good idea to check what’s covered through your insurance or benefits plan. Manulife group benefits plan members with extended health care can access mental-health and counselling services through the Manulife Mobile app.

The right tools – ones that help build habits by providing reminders, education and incentives – can also help build momentum, says Karen Cutler, Vice-President and Head of Underwriting at Manulife Canada. It’s the reason why Manulife Canada has included mental-health education and resources within the Manulife Mobile app, and built ways for group benefit plan members using the app to earn Aeroplan® points for completing health-related journeys and challenges.

It’s also the driving force behind Manulife Vitality, a program available to individual insurance customers that offers education, support, incentives and rewards to encourage customers to take everyday steps toward a longer, better life. “With these tools, we can help people make small but important changes to better their health,” Cutler says.

How workplaces can help

Workplaces also have a responsibility to support proactive mental health for employees, Dr. Pomaki says. According to Manulife Canada’s 2023 Wellness Report, 48 per cent of employees are experiencing at least one work-related mental-health risk factor, such as challenges with work-life balance.

Helping employees safeguard their mental wellness isn’t only the right thing to do, she says – it’s a key part of building organizational resilience. Employers see a return of $1.62 for every $1 invested in activities that improve mental well-being, according to a 2019 Deloitte study. Meanwhile, poor mental health in the workforce increases absenteeism and negatively impacts productivity.

She encourages employers to provide benefits that can help lower workplace stress – such as including coverage for multiple types of mental-health practitioners and providing manager mental-health training to people leaders – to safeguard the ability for employees to “flourish.”

“Our goal is to help every individual plan member get to the next place in their health journey. The great news is there are also small things Canadians can do, and every employer can do, to prioritize mental health.”

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This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or treat a condition. If you have questions or concerns about your specific situation or are seeking medical advice, contact your medical doctor or your health-care provider.

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Manulife Canada. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.