Gallup Research
Gallup conducted a comprehensive global study of more than 150 countries to give us a preview into the well being of more than 98% of the world’s population. To construct a comprehensive measure of individual well being, they designed an assessment and tested hundreds of questions across countries, languages and vastly different life situations.
Gallup Findings
According to Gallup, upon completion of the research, five distinct statistically relevant factors emerged. These are the universal elements of well being that differentiate a thriving life from one spent suffering. They describe aspects of our lives that we can do something about.
Five Contributors
There are five broad categories that are essential to most people.
1. Career well being- how you occupy your time or simply liking what you do every day
2. Social well being- this is about having strong relationships and love in your life
3. Financial well being-this is about effectively managing your economic life
4. Physical well being- this is about having good health and enough energy to get things done on a daily basis
5. Community well being- this is about the sense of engagement with the area where you live
Interdependence
The five contributors are interdependent, intense focus on one can be detrimental to the overall well being. For example, a person dedicating an excessive amount of time and energy to his or her job at the expense of personal relationships might not be happy. We cannot treat the critical areas in our lives as if they are independent and unrelated. Any area below a threshold level can affect a person’s overall well being.
Working On Contributors
All five contributors can be worked upon to enhance happiness though there will always be some uncontrollable elements within each contributor. I will be writing concise articles on what steps an individual can take for each contributor to increase happiness. My focus in the blog will be more on money since it is the most controllable and can also link easily to other contributors. The next article will elaborate on the connection between money and happiness.
