How to optimize the pursuit of well-being and happiness is a question that researchers have tried to tackle from a range of angles. The social effects of the pandemic led many people to focus more closely on their mental health and create buffers against threats to their well-being. In short, they tried to pursue happiness.
As a social scientist, I study the intersection of ethical behavior and well-being. Last year, my colleagues and I decided to explore ways that people could increase their sense of well-being and decrease the increasingly common feelings of anxiety and depression that arose during the pandemic.
