Youth Empowerment Alert: Insights from the Latest Happiness Report 2024 released this month! 📣 It sheds light on crucial factors impacting the happiness and well-being of our youth and young adults. You can read the report here.
“Significantly, the United States of America (23rd) has fallen out of the top 20 for the first time since the World Happiness Report was first published in 2012, driven by a large drop in the well-being of Americans under 30.” This highlights the urgency of addressing the unique challenges faced by our youth population.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the World Happiness Report 2024, why it’s important, and 4 tips about what to do next.
The United States has been ranked in the top 20 of the happiest countries in the annual Happiness Report since it was first issued in 2012. However, for the first time since then, the country has slipped out of the top 20. The decline in the ranking has been attributed to young people, particularly those under 30 years of age.
The happiest country? Finland. Finland consistently ranks as one of the happiest nations in the world, and this can be attributed to a few key factors. Firstly, it is a well-off country that provides for its population, with low levels of inequality ensuring that everyone benefits. Secondly, Finland’s state system supports individuals in economic, physical, and mental health needs, leading to healthy long-life expectancies. Lastly, Finland boasts a strong social support network where people care for each other, have reliable friends, and invest in each other’s well-being. This social capital significantly contributes to the overall evaluation of life satisfaction among the Finnish population.
Why does this report matter? Well, it can help leaders in politics, government, economics, and society to have important conversations about happiness. Instead of only focusing on money and economic growth, we can also think about how happy people are. This way, we can work towards making people happier and not just richer.
For each of us, as individuals, engaging in conversations with our leaders and neighbors can help us think about what we can do in our own communities to raise the happiness levels of those around us.
The GOOD NEWS is that happiness can be increased! There are all these cool new things in the science of psychology and happiness about how to bring more happiness in our lives. We can build our happiness “muscle” just like any other muscle in our body. Science tells us that knowing about it and practicing happiness can help us increase our own happiness! Who knew?!
Here’s my own example from just yesterday: On a walk with my dogs on a safe, low-traffic street, I saw a person on a bike turn the corner, riding in my direction. According to happiness science, even a few quick words with someone you don’t know can make you feel happier by releasing certain chemicals in your brain. As they passed by, I complimented their bike, saying “that’s a cool bike!” But just before I could finish, they said “I like your dogs.” I replied with “Thank you!” and we both went our separate ways. Even though talking to strangers can feel weird, I knew from practicing happiness that I should appreciate those small moments of connection with random people. Even though it can be a bit weird to talk to a stranger, I went out of my comfort zone and did it. So, I also made sure to give myself a pat on the back for the courage to speak and also knew to appreciate that moment.
Wanna take one small step (or 4) into the experiment of practicing personal happiness? Here are four doable things that you can try. Try one thing or all four and pay close attention to how you feel before, during, and after. And then give yourself a pat on the back just for trying it out!
- Laugh. Let yourself laugh at something silly. Find something funny on YouTube or, preferably, laugh with a friend.
- Write down 3 things that you are good at.
- Take a short walk outside.
- Close your eyes and rest for a few minutes.
So, even though the mental health and happiness in the US has declined, especially for our young people, we can take that sad news and learn about ways to bring more happiness to our lives. I have learned so many science-backed ways to boost my mood and happiness! More on that in later posts! Come back to this space for continued tips on how to use what we know about the brain and happiness! And, believe me, our brain will trick us into thinking that a thing will make us happy when it actually won’t, and if we know better we can make our brain work for us and not against us! It’s awesome! If you like this blog and want to learn more, please subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on our social media! And let us know what you think or what you would like to know more about!
