World Happiness

Every year, The World Happiness Report is released to document the sense of wellbeing of thousands of people around the globe. The data partners contributing to the Report are impressive as they examine Happiness from a worldwide and country view. One thing to remember is that “Happiness” isn’t about the emotion, but refers to a general sense of wellbeing. It’s about contentment in life instead of a feeling in a given moment.

Factors That Matter

With this definition, there were three drivers that had a statistically significant impact on Happiness. All three translate easily to you and your work environment.

• Living in a caring society tends to make people happier than making more money. Interestingly, money doesn’t move the Happiness needle nearly as much as living in an environment where there is trust. After a wage to live on, your firm, office or work group have a greater impact on your sense of wellbeing than the size of your paycheck.
• Having a job is a key contributor to happiness. Gainful employment in work that matters to you is a huge factor. While sitting on a sunny beach with a margarita in hand sounds tempting, it would soon diminish into a longing to be engaged in something productive and contributory to others.
• A sense of belonging, flexibility, and purpose at work were especially beneficial for psychological well-being. So, in addition to having a job, an environment that reinforces connectedness to others, the ability to have a certain amount of autonomy and being a part of something larger than yourself is substantial.

Now What?

Since you, like most, are stressed right now, you are probably assessing your current situation. And rightly so, because the drivers in the Report apply to you directly. Here are three questions you could ask yourself:

1. Is my stress and weariness an experience of this moment in time (or season) or am I really less happy in general with my current situation?
2. When I look at my situation objectively, is it really a good one that I sometimes forget?
3. Where there are voids that make the environment less engaging, am I pointing my finger “them” or are there opportunities for me to make it better?

Consider these questions seriously because your sense of wellbeing matters to you, your clients and colleagues, and your firm. Don’t avoid your opportunity to be better and make things better.