Five tips to boost well-being

Bryan Sexton, PhD, chief wellness officer for Duke Health Integrated Practice, has spent much of his career studying well-being in the workplace. He started out studying patient safety and quality improvement. However, after discovering that improving employee well-being often improved quality too, he shifted his focus.

“Basically, we found you have to work on bringing your whole self to work before you can work on doing something better, cheaper, faster, safer,” he said.

Sexton describes well-being as “your ability to do stuff.” When that ability is compromised, the effects can ripple through nearly every area of life, from relationships and communication to performance at work. That's why he and his team at the Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-Being Science focus on simple, evidence-based practices that help people recover, recharge, and build resilience over time. What makes the work even more compelling is the team's use of randomized clinical trials to show the effectiveness of these approaches.

Here are a few simple, evidence-based steps Sexton recommends to help support your well-being. 

Tip 1: Train your brain to spot the good.

Sexton said we notice, remember, and react more strongly to the negative things around us. But we can retrain our brains to notice the positive more often. In times of challenge and uncertainty, he suggests taking the time to search for the good things around you. 

Before bed each night, ask yourself “What are three things that went well today?” 

He said it’s not about ignoring the bad, but about building that part of the brain that notices the good. 

“If you flex that muscle for just a minute or two each day, you get much better at noticing the good that is there right next to the raging dumpster fire that is anybody's given Wednesday,” he said. 

He has the science to back it up. Research conducted by Sexton and colleagues found that regularly reflecting on positive experiences causes reductions in emotional exhaustion, improves work-life balance, and lessens symptoms of depression.

Tip 2: Look for moments of awe.

Whether viewing something as simple as a sunset outside your window or as vast and majestic as a faraway galaxy through the Hubble Telescope, Sexton said feeling a sense of awe can do wonders for your well-being. 

He said the culmination of these types of experiences boosts well-being, patience, and life satisfaction and increases immune system function. It also helps you better recover and bounce back after an upheaval.

“We don't have to make a person feel the most amazed they’ve ever felt. Rather, we just have to make them feel a little bit amazed — several times.”

Tip 3: Pause to appreciate what matters. 

Much like taking the time to notice three good things can make a difference to your well-being, so can taking time to notice things you are grateful for, both large and small.

“It doesn't have to be the most grateful you've ever felt, but if we can make you feel a little bit of gratitude multiple times for a short time, we can create an effect where your well-being improves.” 

Tip 4: Get outside, even briefly.

Sexton said spending time in nature can have a substantial impact as well. “Just being outside is remarkably restorative,” he said. 

And he’s not just talking about obvious places like Duke Gardens or Duke Forest. “Even if you're at a bus stop and you are next to a tree, just notice the tree,” Sexton said. “Notice the sunlight as it dapples through the leaves, playing around on the ground in front of you. Noticing those little micro moments of nature is surprisingly restorative.” 

Tip 5: Protect your sleep. 

Sexton said if he could give employees just one tip, it would be to focus on improving sleep. According to Sexton, the best available evidence-based tips related to sleep include the 3-2-1 method: three hours before bed, stop eating; two hours, stop liquids; and at one hour, dim the lights and switch to screenless reading. 

“Everything in your life is easier with a better night's sleep, and everything in your life is harder with a terrible night's sleep,” he said.  

Find what works for you.

Sexton is quick to note that well-being is not one-size-fits-all. Rather than prescribing a single solution, he encourages people to experiment with different tools and keep the ones that fit their lives.

“If you like it, share it with somebody else,” he said. “And if you don't like it, find something else and share that.”

Especially during periods of uncertainty and stress, he believes small actions can make a meaningful difference, both for individuals and for the people around them.

“What we need at trying times like this is for people to be a candle in the darkness,” Sexton said.

Visit the Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-Being Science online for a list of resources and tools on topics including three good things, awe and wonder, gratitude, and more. Most of the tools take only a few minutes to complete. Sexton also created “One-minute Wonder” videos that introduce some of the tools (Three Good Things, Hope, and Awe) in just 60 seconds. 

If you’re interested in going deeper, check out the Well-B Monthly Webinar Series, which is free with a NetID and offers the opportunity to earn continuing education credit.