Mental health policy has gained increasingly earned attention in the last decade, and policy solutions are needed now more than ever. According to the 2016 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey, the United States has the second-highest rate of self-reported emotional distress among high-income nations. Among high-earning adults in these countries, those in the U.S. were the most likely to have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions by a doctor. This raises an important question: What are other countries doing successfully beyond clinical research and medication? Considering methods and exercises used by other countries with better rates of mental health could benefit us in the U.S. The world’s happiest countries use everyday practices, beyond therapy or medication, that can be woven into our daily lives to support holistic well-being.
One such example can be found in Finland, ranked as the world’s happiest country in 2025 and the last few years. The popular and effective technique called “Worry Hour” has recently gained media attention. The practice teaches children to set aside 30 minutes each day to focus on their worries through journaling and discussion. By giving worry a designated space, it is acknowledged rather than suppressed, preventing it from escalating into constant anxiety. This approach builds emotional regulation and problem-solving skills early in life. Finland’s high mental health rating suggests that culturally embedded practices play a meaningful role in population-level well-being. These simple, effective practices deserve wider discussion as useful tools for people worldwide.
A different but complementary example comes from Aotearoa, New Zealand through the Maori philosophy of Hauora, practiced and promoted by organizations such as Arowhenua Whanau Services, a health and social sciences provider. Hauora views health as holistic and interconnected, rather than compartmentalized. Represented by the Whare Tapa Wha (four-walled house) model, it emphasizes that well-being depends on balance across four dimensions: taha tinana (physical well-being), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional well-being), taha whanau (social well-being), and taha wairua (spiritual well-being). If one wall of the house weakens, the entire structure becomes unstable. This framework challenges Western health systems that often address mental health only after it becomes severe, rather than in a preventive and regulatory way. Like Finland’s approach, this method has been successful, with New Zealand ranked among the world’s top twelve happiest countries.
Part of New Zealand’s effort to promote taha hinengaro, or mental well-being, is an online tool called Sparx, a therapy-based game that stimulates problem solving and mental balance for those with mild to moderate depression. The fantasy-themed game involves avatars who act as guides, offering advice and strategies for dealing with mental health. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) labeled the New Zealand developed game a successful first step for helping youth regulate their emotions on a daily basis.
What both New Zealand’s game Sparx and Finland’s “Worry Hour” demonstrate is that mental health is not solely an individual responsibility or a clinical problem to be treated after a crisis emerges. Instead, it is shaped by daily habits, cultural norms, and community values. Hauora’s emphasis on whanau, spirituality, and balance aligns with the idea that mental health flourishes when people feel grounded and equipped to regulate their emotions.
Building these kinds of practices into everyday life could be highly beneficial, especially in societies like the United States that often prioritize ambition and output over rest and emotional processing at an early age. Simple, consistent habits, whether structured time to reflect on worries or a broader cultural commitment to holistic well-being, can be realistically integrated into busy lives. Most importantly, these approaches encourage us to think beyond individual coping strategies and toward societal frameworks that normalize balance, connection, and care as essential components of health. Public and individual health needs to involve preventive mental health strategy, and scoping out what works for others around the world could open up new avenues that only require a notebook or an app and could last a lifetime.
Alyssa Sterner is a policy writer.
