The 3 important factors for happiness
The 2019 World Happiness Report (WHR) is out and the results are in: There are three important factors that help you find happiness.
These factors are relationships, money and health.
Dr Michael Mosley has learned to obtain these the hard way. He shared his thoughts with the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Lots of factors make you happy,” Mosley told the 1300 audience members at the Happiness and Its Causes conference. "But the three most important things... are relationships, money and health.”
According to the WHR, money matters for happiness, but only to a specific point.
“How much do you think you need to be relatively happy? The minimum? Turns out to be $50,000. The maximum, the point at which you get satiated where actually having more money won’t make you more happy? That turns out to be $90,000... beyond that point you don’t get a lot happier,” Mosley explained.
“Another measure of happiness is when you feel you’ve 'made it'. That turns out to be much higher... about $140,000... to have bragging rights.”
As he made his way through his life, Mosley discovered that money alone didn’t make him happy. He quickly met his wife at medical school and realised she filled a void in his life.
“She filled an enormous emotional void in my life,” he said. Needing close and emotionally fulfilling relationships was something he didn’t realise he needed until he met her.
“That was something I didn’t know until I met Clare.”
The WHR has quantified the impact that relationships have on people that asked a simple question of 1.4 million people in 150 different countries.
“If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends that can help you, whether you need them or not?”
“This is the greatest single predictor of whether or not someone reports they are happy or not,” Mosley said.
He finished the talk by giving his guide to a healthy life.
“My guide to a happy life? Prioritise your relationships, eat a Mediterranean-style diet, fast sometimes – it’s surprisingly enjoyable, keep a waist less than half your height... try and do something that gets your heart rate up three times a week, meditate most mornings... and be grateful for people that make you happy.”