Are You Happy?

According to a new Gallup poll published in The World Global Happiness Report, if you are a Canadian your happiness index is 6.9 out of 10 (maximum happiness), if American, 6.7. Canada placed 15th among countries and the U.S. 23rd.

The happiest countries are Finland (7.7), Denmark (7.6), and Iceland (7.5). Interestingly, in both the U.S. and Canada, as well as in northern Europe, the older generation is significantly happier than the younger one.

Happiness, much like love, is one of the emotions and experiences in human life that is highly valued yet, in some ways, the most elusive. Turning to the academic literature for assistance to address this riddle, it becomes quickly apparent that happiness is complex and cannot be defined or measured by just one dimension.

Subjective well-being is a very active area of research, with about 170,000 articles and books published on the topic in the past 15 years. The studies show that certain factors—personality, health, social relationships, religious belief and employment—are strongly and positively associated with happiness.

The most reliable predictors of life satisfaction are the personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability.

In addition to these traits, largely inherited genetically, are childrearing, education, and culture; lifestyle choices including healthy diet and exercise on the positive side; and, on the negative side, spending too much time watching TV or on the computer, alcoholism, and substance addictions.

All studies agree that fostering one’s physical and mental health increases a person’s chances for a happy life. The positive relationship between health and happiness is likely reciprocal: Being healthy enhances happiness and being happy benefits your health.

One such study comes from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, which collected data on 2.4 million individuals. It found potential causal evidence that better mental well-being, measured by life satisfaction, mood, neuroticism, and depressive symptoms, promotes a longer and healthier life.

A surprising finding of happiness research is that, when it focused on 33 individuals from the European datasets, those who reported eating more cheese registered 3.67 higher in self-rated health and longer lifespan. While high-fat foods are often considered detrimental to health, studies at University College Dublin suggest that in moderation, the consumption of dairy fat can lower cholesterol and reduce mortality from all causes including cancer.

Findings from Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China reinforce the above and assert that cheese consumption has neutral to moderate benefits for human health.

Yew-Kwang Ng, Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, suggests that happiness hinges on level of need satisfaction beyond the self-actualization that Abraham Maslow posited as the topmost need—beyond oneself, a concern for the welfare of others including animals.

Actions or activities that an individual undertakes to benefit or protect the environment have been shown to dramatically boost human happiness. “There is mounting evidence, from dozens and dozens of researchers, that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human wellbeing,” says Lisa Nisbet, a psychologist at Trent University in Ontario, who studies connectedness to nature. “You can boost your mood just by walking in nature, even in urban nature. And the sense of connection you have with the natural world seems to contribute to happiness even when you’re not physically immersed in nature.”

The evidence does not preclude important instrumental values of happiness, including success in one’s career and productivity or work performance. In fact, Charles Henri DiMaria from the Laboratoire d’Economie d’Orléans in Paris proposes that promoting subjective well-being is not only desirable on its own but leads to higher productivity and the economic prosperity of the country.

A word about perfectionism. While it is important in life to apply oneself fully and professionally to any enterprise, striving to be the perfect son or perfect father or writing the perfect column is a sure-fire recipe for grief and disappointment.

In fact, there is now research to show that, as Tzuhsuan Ma has written, “As soon as you release yourself from being perfect, you would be surprised just how many ways there are to solve a problem.” Have realistic expectations and aim for very good rather than perfect, and you will enjoy life a lot more.

Does money buy happiness? The answer is, yes and no. At any given time, those with higher incomes are generally happier, both within and across nations, but over time, happiness does not increase as incomes rise. A key reason for this paradox is that our satisfaction with our income depends much on how it compares to the incomes of others.

And I cannot let you go before I tell you about a recent study by Kira Birditt, research professor at the University of Michigan who found that couples who drink together live longer.

This is not advocating for increased consumption of alcohol. Rather, the study emphasizes the importance of shared lifestyle habits for both health and relationship satisfaction.

Remember, most people derive happiness by helping others in need, animals or humans. So, be prepared to sacrifice a little of your own happiness if it will increase the happiness of others.