Insights into flourishing enhancing activities: a qualitative approach

Flourishing is a key-concept in the field of positive psychology; flourishers are those individuals with high levels on emotional, psychological and social well-being (Keyes, 2002). Flourishers function fully as individuals as well as in the society. Most of the existing literature examining the concept of flourishing is of quantitative base. Little attention has been paid to qualitative data on daily activity patterns in everyday life that promote flourishing. This study uses a qualitative narrative study design, to examine the everyday activities of laypeople who try to obtain or maintain flourishing mental health. This study used data from 17 narratives of European citizens to examine the most common and important activities that promote flourishing. This study also investigated gender differences regarding those activities. Results found four main categories, indicating that social activities, cognitive activities, leisure activities and goal pursuit and achievements are important aspects of flourishing described by laypersons. Marginal significant difference in frequency was found between males and females, in regard to social activities. Further no significant differences in the frequency of those mentioned flourishing activities were found. Overall, it appeared that social activities were the most important for promoting flourishing. However, more qualitative research on the topic of intentional activities is needed.