London: The secret to happiness and success could be as simple as feeling good about life and yourself, and being good at something, a study suggests.
From teenagers studying for their exams to employees succeeding at work, thriving can be seen at all ages and across all cultures, researchers said.
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth in the UK pulled together all the research on what makes people thrive, from studies of babies and teenagers, to studies of artists, sports people, employees and the elderly, and has come up with the first definitive catch-all.
"Thriving is a word most people would be glad to hear themselves described as, but which science has not really managed to consistently classify and describe until now," said Daniel Brown, a sport and exercise scientist at the University of Portsmouth.
"It appears to come down to an individual experiencing a sense of development, of getting better at something, and succeeding at mastering something. In the simplest terms, what underpins it is feeling good about life and yourself and being good at something," he added.
Researchers created a 'shopping list' of components that people need in order thrive in their lives. It includes traits such as optimism, motivation and self-confidence.
The list also includes being proactive, flexible, adaptable, and socially competent.
In order to thrive, a person also needs opportunities, family support, challenges and difficulties at manageable level, calm environment, and a high degree of autonomy.
Researchers said that in order to thrive one does not need all the components, but a combination of some from the list.
Though thriving is similar to resilience, prospering or growth, it stands alone, researchers said.
Thriving has been examined at various stages of human life and has at times been described as vitality, learning, mental toughness, focus, or combinations of these and other qualities, researchers said.
It has also been examined in various contexts, including in the military, in health and in child development, they said.
"Since the end of the 20th century, there has been a quest in science to better understand human fulfilment and thriving, there has been a shift towards wanting to understand how humans can function as highly as possible," said Brown.
The study was published in the journal European Psychologist.
