Post by Riya Gohil, Happiness Alliance Intern and student in Business Administration at Wilson College, Mumbai India. Recently, I took on an internship with the Happiness Alliance, and as a part of it, I took the Happiness Index. I was surprised to learn that the average Happiness Index score of happiness for youth is 57.5 out of 100 because youth is supposed to be one of the happiest times in life. This made me wonder about how the Happiness Index measures happiness. I learned a lot, and I wrote this post to explain how the questions in the Happiness Index relate to your happiness, and what my experience was of taking the Index. If you haven’t taken the survey, here it is. The Happiness Index is a survey that measures your happiness in 10 different areas of your life. The data collected from the survey is used to evaluate the happiness of people. Satisfaction with LifeThe Happiness Index measures this in two sections. One is called the Cantril Ladder. For the Cantril Ladder question, you imagine that you have a ladder in front of you. If you climb on top of it, you will see a beautiful view of the skyline but if you are stuck at the bottom, you are mired in mud. Your best possible life is at the top of the ladder and your worst possible life is at the bottom. The Cantril Ladder is an instrument to measure your satisfaction with life. We use the Cantril Ladder to help you better understand your standing in life and help you climb up the ladder! When I started the survey, I was surprised by the straightforwardness of the question but it is better than beating around the bush. The other section is similar to the Cantril Ladder as it also measures your satisfaction with life but it dives a little deeper. Without being satisfied with your life, you cannot enjoy what it has to offer. This portion of the Happiness Index let me evaluate my feelings so that I could face them with courage. I realised that simple questions sometimes make a big impact. I was able to compare my happy days with my anxious ones and was prompted to do something about the latter ones! Psychological WellbeingThe next section is Psychological well-being. Psychological well-being is the aspect where, it seems to me, your happiness matters the most. If you are not optimistic about your future, do not have a sense of purpose or just don’t feel positive about yourself, naturally your happiness suffers. Your mental health is as important as your physical health. I have witnessed a mental health revolution in India in the past year because of the pandemic and the dents that it has put on people’s lives. Many people have come forward to narrate their struggles, to lend a helping hand and provide resources for people in need. I have seen in my life how the pandemic has negatively impacted my mental health, but also how helping others in these difficult times has been good for me. Physical HealthThe mental health section is followed by a section for physical health. - Joseph Pilates, originator of Pilates exercise routines, said “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” I think Joseph Pilates makes a good point. You may have heard your friends or family members tell you how they started feeling better after sweating it out in the gym. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins which helps in elevating your mood and is also a natural painkiller. I have been practicing Yoga for some time now. It helps me in uplifting my mood besides the fact that it gives my muscles a good stretch! Time BalanceI was surprised to find an entire section dedicated to time balance. - One of my favorite sayings is “You are the main character in the story of your life” by Timothy Kurek, an author and public speaker. I like this saying because it makes me realise that I am responsible for my own happiness. A large chunk of our lives is spent doing worldly things that fill the tummy, give shelter and a sense of safety. You attend your classes, go to your jobs or exhaust yourselves while trying to run a business. But in between this chaos, how much time do you actually spend doing things that put a smile on your face? This aspect of the survey helped me to realise that it’s okay to slow down a bit in this fast paced world and focus on what I love. Lifelong Learning, Arts and CultureOne of the shorter sections is called Lifelong Learning, Arts and Culture. This section measures a lot with just a few questions. My neighbour, a small girl, once saw some boys playing cricket and longed to play it herself. The boys were unhelpful and she did not have access to expensive coaching centres. I saw how this broke her spirit. Having opportunities to learn and do what you love is an important factor that contributes to your happiness. This section also measures your experience with discrimination. Inclusion and belongingness is crucial to your wellbeing. When you feel excluded, your happiness decreases in many ways. You may identify with a certain group of people and are proud that you belong to a certain culture or ethnicity. But belonging to one group does not mean that people who do not belong should be discriminated against. Being discriminated against leaves a feeling of contempt, inferiority and makes a person feel anxious. I think that we should focus on feelings of inclusion and belongingness no matter what the group, as these are necessary for your well-being. CommunityLike satisfaction with life, community is measured in two sections. The first one is simply called Community. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, said “Man is a social animal.” Connection with others of our kind is a basic survival need. Community can include people that live around you, people you study with or a group of people with whom you take a walk. Community serves as an outlet for people to share their thoughts, to help and get help or to simply joke around. The Happiness Index has some interesting questions that made me think about my relations with people around me. In particular, it made me rethink my relationships with my neighbors, and see how important it is to have good, trusting relations. Social SupportThe second section that measures community is called Social Support. It has a separate section because personal relationships can make or break a person. Having a loving family, supportive friends and an understanding partner can dramatically affect your happiness. Some people I know are told as they grow up, to be tough and independent. This preaching is not only wrong but also insensitive. I think the feeling of being cared for and loved is a basic requisite for the survival of humans, and this section made me grateful to my family and friends for all their love and support. EnvironmentFollowing the sections for community is the environment - One beautiful saying that I came across while reading an article was “The dirtier the feet, the happier the heart.” To me, this means that spending more time with nature boosts the production of serotonin (the happy hormone) in your brain. I find that the benefits of spending time in the natural environment are innumerable. It increases my focus, uplifts my mood, makes me feel energised, improves eyesight and brings a sense of serenity. With the crisis of climate change hovering over us like a dark cloud because of the degradation of the environment, people are feeling less connected with nature than ever. The concrete jungle has created a gloomy atmosphere. I recently planted a turmeric plant at my window which made me want to care for it like a child. The fruit of the plant was satisfying. Nature really does give more than it takes! GovernmentThe next section is Government. - Government has a large but sometimes not noticed impact on life. You pay taxes, are bound by the laws of the country and enjoy the facilities that it provides. From education to income to jobs to entertainment and much more, all aspects of your life somehow navigate its way back to the government. In many ways, the government sets the stage for happiness. In other words, it is the responsibility of the government to secure and protect people’s opportunities to be happy. This section of the Happiness Index asks you about your trust in the government and your view of the corruption in government. These questions are particularly relevant today with the uproar and protests all around the world. And by the way- to know more about how governments can create policies that prioritise the happiness of their people, read our book, The Happiness Policy Handbook. Standard of LivingThe second last section is Standard of Living. The widely used parameter for measuring the growth and prosperity of a country is average Gross Domestic Product(GDP) per capita. But GDP only measures the amount of goods and services produced in a year. It is insufficient to evaluate the real happiness of the people. If people are not happy, economic prosperity is of little use. WorkThe last section in the Happiness Index is Work. - Some people go to the workplace everyday, silently wishing that they wouldn't have to go. They come home late, eat and then go to sleep. They repeat this cycle everyday to the point where their job is only a source of dissatisfaction in life. Working 8 - 10 hours a day without liking what you do affects your happiness negatively. Whatever your work, feeling a sense of responsibility and having a passion for what you do makes your work life interesting. This section measures Work-life balance, instead of the time balance section which measures feeling rushed, leisure time and doing things you like. When your work-life is out of balance, you can feel distressed. Taking some time off to do things that you love is paramount for your happiness. As a student with lectures to attend and internships to work on, it is difficult to find time for myself. This is why I take at least half an hour from my day to read a book or listen to music to disconnect for a while. In conclusionThe Happiness Index is a comprehensive measure of wellbeing that gives you lots to think about. There are other aspects of wellbeing in every section that could be included, but I understand that if every aspect were added, the survey would be too long to take - even for me.
When you get your scores, you have an idea about the extent to which you are happy and satisfied with your life. It encouraged me to make small changes in my life so that I can lead a better life. I hope it's a start of something good for you too! You can donate to our cause for sustainable happiness and be a part of the happiness movement!
4 Comments
chantsaldulam
9/21/2022 08:58:08 am
How are you
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9/11/2023 01:59:13 am
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yohannes
2/16/2024 09:14:25 pm
Thank you so much for your amazing post.It really helps many,
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