# Zest is a key ingredient to good living

> Psychologists say cultivating zest, a positive, energetic approach to life, is one of the strongest predictors of mental well-being and life satisfaction.
- Title: Zest is a key ingredient to good living · TIME | Shortify
- Summary: Psychologists say cultivating zest, a positive, energetic approach to life, is one of the strongest predictors of mental well-being and life satisfaction…
- Keywords: zest, positive psychology, mental health, character strengths, well-being, life satisfaction, news, world, key, ingredient, good, living
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/17/zest-is-a-key-ingredient-to-good-living
- Author: Joan M. Cook
- Published: 2026-10-17T10:00:04.677+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: zest, positive psychology, mental health, character strengths, well-being, life satisfaction, news, world
## What zest really is
Zest is a cultivated cheerfulness and joy, not hyperarousal or caffeine. It means approaching life with positive expectations, eagerness, and a get-up-and-go attitude.
## One of 24 universal strengths
Psychologists Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman pioneered positive psychology, the scientific study of human flourishing. Their two thousand four text Character Strengths and Virtues identified twenty four universal character strengths. Zest is one of them.
## Strongest link to mental well-being
An analysis of data from one hundred thirty studies involving more than two hundred seventy five thousand people found zest was one of just two strengths with the strongest relationship to mental well-being across countries…
## Benefits across life stages
Zest contributes to life satisfaction among children, adolescents, and adults. In a study of nearly ten thousand employed adults, those who scored high on zest had higher work satisfaction and were more likely to view…
## How to boost zest daily
Ryan Niemiec, chief science and education officer at the VIA Institute on Character, recommends behavioral activation.Engage every day in one healthy pleasure, one form of physical activity, and one action that makes you feel accomplished.

> 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.
## Practical ways to lift your spirits
Take a brisk ten minute walk every morning, do cardiovascular or strength building challenges, practice Reiki or yoga, laugh with friends, and engage in stimulating tasks.
## Never too old to change
Research supports the idea that we are never too old to change and can learn how to cultivate zest.
## Key takeaway

Zest, a cultivated cheerfulness and eagerness to engage with life, is one of just two character strengths most strongly linked to mental well-being across all ages and countries.