Daily Calm: Getting by is not the same as thriving

Daily Calm, from Central London Hypnotherapy

Plenty of people would call themselves fine: busy, a bit tired, getting through the week. A survey of 53,799 people in 92 countries suggests that "fine" can hide something researchers call languishing, a state where nothing is badly wrong but little feels good. The study, Global Mental Wealth: a multidimensional analysis of well-being in 92 countries, was published at the end of October.

What the study found

Languishing was widespread, and most noticeable in two groups: younger adults, and people living in wealthier countries. Young people scored lower than older groups on emotional stability, resilience and vitality, and those gaps pulled their overall wellbeing down. Yet people of every age rated their sense of meaning and their relationships positively. More education and higher income went with better wellbeing, while having a job placed people only in the middle of the range.

The survey was mostly online and relies on people describing their own lives, and we have read the abstract rather than the full paper. Even so, a sample this large, spread across this many countries, is hard to wave away.

Two sources, two emphases

The Mirage News report on the study quotes lead author Kai Ruggeri asking for concrete policy action, and puts worn-down resilience at the centre of the story. The paper itself is more balanced. Whereas the headline stresses decline, the data also show meaning and relationships holding up. That contrast is useful: for many people the gap is not purpose but energy and steadiness, the everyday ability to bounce back from pressure.

A different line of research looks at exactly that ability. Pooling five randomised trials, a 2026 meta-analysis of mindful hypnotherapy reported lower stress (effect size 0.75) and lower distress (0.61) in the people who took part.

Why this lands in London

A city full of young professionals in well-paid jobs fits the profile closely: a decent salary, long hours and a phone that never goes quiet. Being employed, the survey hints, does not by itself protect wellbeing, and money only goes so far.

What it means for you

• Check your vitality, not only your mood. Ask how much energy you have for what you value.
• Lean on what holds. Meaning and relationships scored well at every age, so guard time for both.
• Train recovery. Resilience behaves like a skill, and short, regular wind-down practice builds it.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Hypnotherapy can help you relax and relieve anxiety. In a 2020 randomised trial in Germany, five weekly group hypnosis sessions lowered self-reported stress compared with an information booklet, and the difference was still there at 12 weeks. For people whose self-belief has dipped along with their energy, Tim also offers hypnotherapy for confidence in London.

Tim Dunton brings over 20 years of one-to-one work, belongs to the GHR and learned NLP from its co-founders, Richard Bandler and John Grinder. See how he approaches hypnotherapy for stress in London.

Book a free consultation. Talk it through for 15 to 30 minutes, face to face in London or on video: book your free consultation or phone 07975 653893.

The research

1. Global Mental Wealth: a multidimensional analysis of social, financial and emotional well-being in 92 countries, 2026 (survey, 53,799 people). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-026-03890-0

2. Mirage News, "Study reveals concerning trends in global mental health", November 2026. https://www.miragenews.com/study-reveals-concerning-trends-in-global-1774940/

3. Padilla VJ, Muñiz V, Scheffrahn K, Elkins G. Mindful hypnotherapy for stress: a meta-analysis, Behavioral Sciences, 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41595048/

4. Fisch S et al. Group hypnosis for stress reduction and improved stress coping: a multicenter randomized controlled trial, BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2020. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7664040/

Tags: stress · wellbeing · resilience · research · London

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