How to Improve Your Quality of Life
Theory and research surrounding quality of life and tips for improving yours.
By Tchiki Davis and Sarah Sperber.
Do you have a good quality of life? What exactly does “quality of life” refer to? Does it simply refer to happiness or is it more complicated than that?
Quality of life is discussed in various fields of research, including psychology, international development, economics, and healthcare. The term can refer to different constructs depending on the context in which it is used. For this reason, and possibly frustratingly, there is no single widely agreed-upon definition of quality of life.
Having said that, the World Health Organization (WHO) provides us with a sense of direction by presenting one definition. It defines quality of life as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns” (WHO, n.d.). Because of the WHO’s international influence, its definition is significant — especially since it is used in much public and global health research. An important takeaway from this definition is that quality of life is a subjective measure of one’s well-being. Of course, even this key point is debated, with some…