Today is The International Day of Happiness World Happiness Report 2024 lands on 20 March to mark the UN’s International Day of Happiness.
This leads me to ask? ARE YOU HAPPY? DO YOU FEEL HAPPY? Why or why not?
Finland, again, has been ranked as the happiest nation in the world for the seventh consecutive year according to the UN-backed World Happiness Report. The report evaluates life satisfaction in 143 countries and territories globally, with Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland also ranking highly.
However, the report also highlights a significant slide down the rankings for Germany and the United States, mainly due to the gloomier outlook of younger people in these countries.
The one thing that’s not clear, is why are young people in the West increasingly so unhappy?
Do policymakers need emphasize the need for policies that focus on well-being and happiness, rather than solely economic indicators, to improve the lives of citizens?
I heard conversations on the radio today of Finland having a very healthy disconnect from technology. I don’t know too much about the policies themselves however I may take a look at them when I get a moment.
@mnrkr74 Interesting insight. I wonder if we have anyone from Finland on the Forum who can comment on the tech habits of their country.
I also wonder if it WHAT you do with your screen time matters. If you’re working or doing school work- or are you just mindlessly scrolling & falling down YT rabbit holes.
I believe it’s absolutely about ‘what’ you spend your time doing on screen. Phones etc are not a bad thing, screentime is not necessarily a bad thing, when we utilise that time productively and/or creatively.
I would have to agree. I always feel good/happy/content when I’m on the computer doing work stuff for Mudita or engaging/connecting with people on this forum. However, anytime I open social media I feel dread, like I’m about to waste a bunch of time.
Is it then real happiness? Or fake?
What defines happiness? Better you ask… Who defines happiness?
Who made this day up? A happy or a unhappy person?
Just some random questions…
That’s one of the reasons I came-off social media, the waste of time. Don’t get me wrong, I find other ways to waste time which I also need to work on, however I waste time on my own life and not looking at the lives of others. I can easily sit down at a computer and waste hours hopping from one thing to another. There’s just no escaping being online now, everything I have to do in my life seems to have some sort of online interaction.
Gratitude goes a long way, but also I think not constantly thinking about what is wrong and what the problem is- that has a lot to do with it. Ruminating on the things that you think are wrong in your life will only make you think of what’s wrong in your life.
I understand what you are saying, but by “forcing” happiness, you create a conflict within yourself. Meaning, when you are unhappy, and you are forcing yourself to be happy, the underlying problems are not resolved… they will linger underneath…time will come when it has to get out ( some way or the other ).
By seeing what is. ( not by escaping from the problem, for instance to go to some kind of church, guru, priest etc… ) and understanding, underlying problems will eventually resolve, and then “happiness” will follow… but you have to be willing to see what is, to investigate to observe.
@mausje75 I agree with you that pushing aside uncomfortable feelings and “faking” being happy is totally problematic. Not to mention it can be detrimental to our mental health.
However, my approach is more of a confrontational approach, followed by a recognition of my feelings and try to understand why those feelings are there in the first place.
Yes, there are things that will make me sad because I am a human being with feelings, but what works for me is understanding why those feelings are there and then moving forward with either comfort or a solution to the problem.
Offcourse we should have feelings…that is what makes us human.
But most of us are hanging on those feelings, they linger and not moving forward. That is a reason why people are prone to get negative and then eventually getting depressed.
The “me” is a very important reason why there is conflict in you ( generally speaking ) For instance, you see a beautiful butterfly, you look at it with your whole body and senses… at that moment the " me " is totally absent…then you are really alive.
World Happiness Report 2024 lands on 20 March to mark the UN’s International Day of Happiness.
