The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Aotearoa is “Top Up Together.” Evidence shows that engaging in small, daily wellbeing activities is related to feeling good, functioning well, and coping better when life throws curveballs. Regularly “topping up” wellbeing also acts as a protective factor, reducing the likelihood of experiencing mental ill health.
The secret is to find the wellbeing activities that fit with your lifestyle, your personality, your strengths and your interests. Essentially putting things into your daily routine that you can do, want to do, and enjoy doing. There’s nothing fluffy here (unless you are interested in cloud watching), this is about the science of being able to feel and perform at your best. In fact, a nationally representative study of 10,000 adults, found that regularly engaging in simple daily practices aligned with the Five Ways to Wellbeing (Connect, Give, Take Notice, Be Active, and Keep Learning), is linked to higher levels of wellbeing, i.e., feeling good and functioning well, in the New Zealand adult population (1).
The evidence also shows an additive benefit of engaging in wellbeing activities with others (topping up together). In one of my favourite (and flavourful) studies, participants who tasted chocolate at the same time as another person rated it as more tasty and enjoyable than those who sampled it alone (2). A global survey also found that having a diverse mix of social interactions, across friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues, predicts higher wellbeing (3). In fact evidence suggests that there is an incremental benefit of group participation in relation to each of the five ways to wellbeing categories. Let’s explore further by taking each category in turn.
Acts of giving can boost mood, foster meaning (4), and positively impact physical health (5). A randomised trial among adults with hypertension found that those instructed to spend $40 on others for three weeks showed clinically significant reductions in blood pressure; benefits comparable to medication or exercise (5).
There is also evidence that the wellbeing benefits of generosity are amplified when it builds connection. Aknin and colleagues(6) showed that participants who used gift cards to treat others to coffee and then joined them, experienced the largest increase in happiness, compared to anonymous giving or using the gift card to buy a coffee for themselves.
While mindfulness often conjures images of quiet solitude, research shows that noticing the present moment can be just as powerful, and sometimes more so, when done with others. Being present and aware is associated with benefits such as reduced rumination (7) and improved stress management (8). A 2021 study found that people who meditated while watching others meditate experienced the same benefits of mindfulness as those who practiced alone, but also reported stronger feelings of social connection and belonging (9).
Movement as medicine may feel like a catchy alliterative statement, but does it have substance? Yes, it does. The positive impact of physical activity on both physical and mental health is reliably shown in population health studies (e.g., 10). Of particular note, given the theme of Mental Health Awareness week, is that the effects may be augmented in group settings. Research shows that walking in nature with others is linked to lower stress, reduced depressive symptoms, and higher overall wellbeing, even when compared with solo walking at a similar pace (11). Social connection also helps people stick with healthy habits: in one randomised trial, older adults who combined step-tracking with light social engagement, such as exchanging supportive messages with peers, significantly increased their weekly activity and sustained it over time (12). The social bonds associated with group running have also been shown to enhance enjoyment, energy, and overall life satisfaction (13).
Evidence across countries and age groups demonstrates a link between engaging in new learning and positive outcomes such as greater life satisfaction, stronger sense of purpose, and improved mental health (OECD, 2017; 2025). And evidence shows such benefits can be further enhanced in a group setting. A study evaluating everyday collaborative problem-solving found that both younger and older adults performed better cooperatively than when working alone (14). Another compelling study using a "Barrier Task" (a game-like memory and learning challenge) showed that while older adults initially performed worse than younger peers, they caught up when working collaboratively. Over time and repeated trials, their performance became statistically indistinguishable from the younger group, suggesting collaborative learning has the potential to mitigate age-related memory limitations (15).
Social connection remains one of the strongest predictors of long-term physical and mental health (16,17). And there is robust evidence that wellbeing activities that incorporate a social component have additive benefits. So let’s all Top Up Together this Mental Health Awareness Week.
References
Mackay, L. M., Egli, V., Booker, L.-J., & Prendergast, K. (2019). New Zealand’s engagement with the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Evidence from a large cross-sectional survey. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 14(2), 230–244
Boothby, E. J., Clark, M. S., & Bargh, J. A. (2014). Shared experiences are amplified. Psychological Science, 25(12), 2209–2216.
Sandstrom, G. M., Dunn, E. W., & Stocks, E. L. (2022). Relational diversity in social portfolios predicts well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(8), e2120668119.
Klein, N. (2017). Prosocial behavior increases perceptions of meaning in life. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(4), 354–361
Whillans, A. V., Dunn, E. W., Smeets, P., Bekkers, R., & Norton, M. I. (2016). Prosocial spending and blood pressure: A randomized controlled trial. Health Psychology, 35(6), 574–583
Aknin, L. B., Dunn, E. W., Sandstrom, G. M., & Norton, M. I. (2013). Does social connection turn good deeds into good feelings?: On the value of putting the ‘social’ in prosocial spending. International Journal of Happiness and Development, 1(2), 155–171
Wei, S., Qin, W., Yu, Z., Cao, Y., & Li, P. (2025). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on rumination and related psychological indicators: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychology, 13
Lindsay, E. K., Young, S., Brown, K. W., Smyth, J. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2025). App-based mindfulness training reduces stress and perseverative thinking in daily life: Evidence from ecological momentary assessment. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 59
Creswell, J. D., Lindsay, E. K., Villalba, D. K., & Chin, B. (2021). Effects of video-guided group versus solitary meditation on state mindfulness and social connectedness in novice meditators. Mindfulness, 12(4), 771–782
Mahindru, A., Patil, P., & Agrawal, V. (2023). Role of physical activity on mental health and well-being: A review. Cureus, 15(1),
Marselle, M. R., Warber, S. L., & Irvine, K. N. (2014). Growing resilience through interaction with nature: Can group walks in nature buffer the effects of stressful life events on mental health? Ecological Society of America, 24(4), 1098–1109
Liu, Y., & Lachman, M. E. (2021). A group-based walking study to enhance physical activity among older adults: The role of social engagement. Research on Aging, 43(9–10), 368–377.
Stevinson, C., Wiltshire, G., & Hickson, M. (2015). Facilitating participation in health-enhancing physical activity: A qualitative study of parkrun. BMC Public Health, 15, 566
Cheng, S., & Strough, J. (2004). A comparison of collaborative and individual everyday problem solving in younger and older adults. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 58(3), 167-195.
Vollmann, J., & Rösler, F. (2014). Collaborative learning benefits older adults: Evidence from a barrier task. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1340
Jordan, M. (2023). The power of connection: Self-care strategies of social wellbeing. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 31, 100586.
Holt‐Lunstad, J. (2024). Social connection as a critical factor for mental and physical health: evidence, trends, challenges, and future implications. World Psychiatry, 23(3), 312-332.