With the world still recovering from the pandemic, the latest discussions and research find that trust, social connectedness, and philanthropy can play a big part in individual and community happiness for the world.
The World Happiness Report 2022 reports positivity during this troubled time of war and pandemic. Though the pandemic brought pain and suffering, the upside is that it also got an increase in social support and benevolence. The report, published by the United Nations, assesses the happiness of each UN member country. It uses self-reported quality of life measures and a variety of socioeconomic indicators, including GDP per capita, trust, life expectancy, corruption, social support, corruption, perceived freedom to make life decisions, and generosity.
According to the 2022 World Happiness Report, Australia comes number 12 out of 149 countries for happiness. Its ranking has remained the same since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago, despite extended lockdowns and border closures.
The ten countries ranking the lowest on the happiness scale are all in lower-income or conflict-ridden nations. This reminds us of the impact that income, political instability, and national security may have on the happiness of citizens. In The Happiness Report 2022, researchers noted a global rise in benevolent acts compared to pre-pandemic levels. There was also strong growth in donations and volunteering during this period. The report documents how benevolence and trust have contributed to wellbeing during the pandemic.
Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker found that of more than 36,000 Australians, 77% of Australians consider themselves happy.
Arthur C Brooks is a Harvard professor, behavioural and social scientist, and New York Times bestseller of "Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Meaning in the Second Half of Life."
Brooks suggests we work on our "happiness portfolio," consisting of the four pillars of faith, family, friends, and work.
According to Brooks, happiness is about thinking about and engaging in things bigger than themselves, for example, nourishing meaningful family and friendships. It's about doing work that helps and allows others to succeed. He recognises that life can get in the way of nurturing family, faith, family, and work.
Other research supports Brooks' theory, showing that personal relationships and social connectedness are significant to happiness and wellbeing. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, a study spanning 80 years, found close relationships to be the main factor. Another study among retirees in China found social participation to have a significant impact.
According to Brooks, our brains can fall into the trap of chasing after things that are only temporary fixes for our happiness. He calls these the four false idols of money, power, pleasure, and fame. He suggests we should catch ourselves and become aware of when we seek temporary relief from unpleasant feelings or satisfy cravings.
Brookes, in an interview, tells GQ magazine that half of our happiness is genetic, estimating that our circumstances contribute to 25 percent, and our habits determine the remaining quarter.
During the pandemic, Arthur Brooks had a conversation during a live class session of the Harvard Business School course about Leadership and Happiness with the Dalai Lama, a long time leader of Tibetan Buddhism. They talked about how turmoil can provide opportunities for both personal and professional fulfillment. In this session, the Dalai Lama stressed the importance of connection to happiness, particularly during an event like the pandemic where we live and work separately.
He advised that we can find peace, even during a pandemic. He said he has personally found solitude helpful for meditation. He said it's about seeing ourselves as part of a larger community anywhere in the world, even if you are alone. The solution, he stressed, comes in improving our educational systems to teach community and equality rather than division and difference.
Dalai Lama says fear and distrust can get in the way of happiness. He says focusing on material wealth or competition rather than working together and the general good "eventually creates anger, so the person will not be happy."
The ten years of World Happiness Reports have consistently confirmed that communities with more trust are happier and more resilient when confronted with a wide range of crises.
The Happiness Institute says resilience strategies can help achieve happiness even in challenging times. The Happiness Institute recognises we can't be happy 100% of the time and that even as happy humans, we'll experience both positive and negative emotions. It believes happiness is about enjoying the good times and working through the challenges we tend to face. According to the institute, happy people tend to be able to tackle these challenges with more effectiveness and resilience. The institute says resilience breeds happiness.
The Happiness Institute offers the following tips to get through tough times:
We accept
