Happy!

By Greg Luongo, AIA and Erin Peavey, AIA, WELL AP, EDAC, LEED AP BD+C, HKS

WHAT MAKES US HAPPY?

To answer that question, we looked to the Nordic countries, which are consistently ranked as some of the happiest places on the planet. And while the reasons why vary, a handful of universal characteristics came up in research conducted by The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. According to their findings, seven factors are fundamental to contributing to a sense of happiness:

Health: No surprise here really. If we’re sick, we are generally unhappy. Health is also one of the factors that not only affects us as individuals, but our family and friends as well.

Wealth: This one doesn’t come as a surprise either. Data shows that richer countries and people are simply happier in general. But the important thing to understand here is the trigger: being without money is the root of unhappiness. If we can’t put food on the table or provide a roof overhead, it causes stress and anxiety. There’s also an interesting factor of diminishing returns when it comes to wealth, where more or excessive wealth does not necessarily have a corresponding bump in happiness.

Trust: This factor is less obvious than money or health. In Nordic countries, foundational trust comes in two forms. First is trust in the state and government, which can come as a result of low levels of corruption, strong governance and democratic institutions, and widespread access to basic services that support well-being. The second is trust in one’s fellow citizens and neighbors. When we can trust our neighbors, we generally have fewer worries — we’re less anxious about theft or threats of harm. Trust just makes life a little bit easier and more convenient.

Personal Freedoms: There is a strong correlation between the level of personal freedom in a given country and the level of happiness. Beyond civil liberties like freedom of speech and assembly, personal freedom means having the ability to decide how to spend one’s time, which can lead to increased well-being and a balance between work and personal life. People in most Nordic countries have a fairly good work-life balance, meaning that they are relatively in control of what they get to spend their time doing. Of course, freedom and choice are affected by our life circumstances such as where and how we work, whether we have children, and what our support networks look like — but regardless, having more personal freedoms is proven to increase happiness.

Quality Relationships: In every study the Happiness Research Institute conducts and in every data set they look at, whether it’s local, national, or international, the quality of our relationships is often the best predictor of whether people are happy or not. This appears to be true for humans across all geographies and cultures. No matter where we come from or where we live, what drives happiness in Copenhagen is similar to what drives happiness in Washington, DC.

Generosity: As humans and social beings, we are fundamentally wired to feel good by doing good. Being kind and/or generous to those around us provides a shortterm boost to well-being — often called a “helper’s high.” Engaging in long-term volunteering can also lead to feelings like having a greater sense of meaning and purpose.

Community: The last factor highlights the importance of togetherness and belonging. Being part of a collective, and having strong relationships and a community consistently appears as a major contributor to happiness — whether it’s measured at a precise moment in time, in general across a lifetime, or in terms of our sense of purpose.