The Lifestyle, Environment, and Flourishing lab is interested in studying how lifestyle choices relate to mental health and well-being. We conduct quantitative and qualitative research to explore…
- how common lifestyle behaviors predict mental health in daily life (and vice versa)
- how lifestyle behaviors cluster together
- the role of engaging with natural environments for mental health and well-being
- how people make sense of the relationship to nature and the outdoors
- what widely accessible approaches can improve sleep
- what factors contribute to disparities in engaging in health behaviors
The team is located at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
I anticipate one to two openings for doctoral students to join the Lab for Fall 2027. Please see the Combined Doctoral Program in Counseling & School Psychology website for more details.
I would also consider accepting research-oriented master’s and undergraduate students into the Lab. Please reach out via email.
Latest News
Individualized Networks of Lifestyle and Mental Health
Austen Anderson, along with LEAF lab members Lindsey Ostermiller, Isabel Rice, and Casandra O’Rourke, recently published a study in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being examining how daily lifestyle habits and emotional health cluster together in everyday life. The study tracked 79 adults over a 70-day daily diary period to capture daily fluctuations in sleep, physical activity, diet, social interaction, nature exposure, and affect.
What set this project apart was the use of idiographic network modeling, which allowed researchers to distinguish sample-wide trends from unique, person-specific daily dynamics.
The key findings were:
Healthy lifestyle behaviors—such as physical activity, nature engagement, and fruit and vegetable intake—frequently clustered together at both between-person and within-person levels.
Higher daily positive affect was consistently linked to increased social interaction, nature exposure, exercise, and better sleep duration on that same day.
Network structures varied substantially across individuals, demonstrating that how lifestyle behaviors and mood reinforce one another differs significantly from person to person.
The study highlights that wellness habits and emotional health function as interconnected, highly individualized systems. Rather than relying on standard, one-size-fits-all health advice, these findings lay the groundwork for personalized, measurement-informed lifestyle interventions tailored to an individual’s unique daily profile.