Podcast Episode: 15
Title: The UK's Wellbeing Wake-Up Call and the Happya Solution
In today’s episode, we’re diving into the recent findings of the annual mental state of the world report, with a spotlight on the United Kingdom, and exploring why more than ever, positive psychology and the principles of happya are not just a nice to have but are essential.
To give some context to the report this is the 4th annual report that has been released. It surveys over 400,000 individuals and covers 71 different countries.
The report brings to light some startling revelations about the mental state of the global population, with the UK, ranking 2nd to last in terms of mental wellbeing.
That’s right despite being a world leader in many aspects, the nation finds itself grappling with a mental health dilemma that has been exacerbated by the pandemic but to be clear was not caused by it.
It’s true that across the world there has been a dramatic decline in mental wellbeing between 2019-2020 which continued into 2021 and concerningly there has been no sign of recovery.
It is also apparent that less developed countries have better mental health.
The report measures mental wellbeing as “the ability of an individual to handle normal stresses and adversities of life and contribute productively to society”.
It reflects an individual’s sense of how their inner state impacts their ability to function.
This is very different to other studies which measure feelings of happiness or satisfaction whilst those consider a subjective feeling which is more fluid and by nature difficult to measure this report considers the real impact your mental health has on your wellbeing.
It considers six core factors including:
1. Your emotional wellbeing – your ability to manage and regulate your emotions effectively and constructively.
2. Your social connections – how you relate and interact with others and see yourself as part of your community.
3. Your drive and motivation – your ability to work towards you goals and complete activities in your daily life.
4. The Mind-Body connection – regulating the balance between your mind and body.
5. Your cognition – your ability to mental process events and maintain a longer-term perspective on your thoughts and behaviours.
6. Adaptability and resilience – your ability to change your behaviours in response to challenges and setbacks.
The report measures 47 aspects of mental health producing a score relating to a mental health scale ranging from distressed to thriving.
So, what causes a country like the UK to score so low? According to the report, it highlights 3 key factors: smartphones, ultra-processed foods, and the breakdown of family units.
The introduction of smartphones particularly on the younger population has been seen to result in a reduction of real-world interactions. Learning growth and the development of resilience comes from our experience of real-life challenges. Smartphones / social media can leave you disconnected from reality.
A diet of high-processed foods has an impact on both our physical and mental wellbeing not only because of the lower nutritional value but also because there is no time taken in the preparation of food.
The breakdown of family units and connection within families’ challenges our sense of safety and belonging. It should be in our family units that we are able to be ourselves, to be loved and nurtured providing a safe space for personal development and growth.
Overall, the report paints a picture of a society at a crossroads, where the pursuit of progress and convenience may have inadvertently steered us away from the essence of wellbeing.
In the face of these challenges what can you do?
This is where the happya philosophy and principles offer hope and guidance. Because happya isn’t about chasing happiness, it’s about building the foundations for a fulfilling life. Your happya, your state of mental wellbeing is a unique recipe for you and your life so apologies if you are thinking I can hand over a checklist of things you need to put in place to make everything right in your world.
You must do the work and a significant part of that is about challenging yourself to look deep within about who you are and what you really want from your life.
Positive psychology is defined as the science of happiness, but this shouldn’t be mistaken with the fleeting moments of joy that experiences and quick release hacks can give us it’s the science of your overall wellbeing and this is embedded into the principles of happya.
The world has changed, and the need for the happya philosophy and its core principles have never been more acute.
At the top of the list of principles is Harmonising your Authenticity, this is about embracing your true self, rediscovering who you are and shedding the layers of imposed expectations.
Next is amplifying your self-care, it’s about prioritising your wellbeing ensuring that all the elements that make up your sense of wellbeing are fully charged these include your physical, emotional, mental, and social batteries. If you want to learn more about this then check out the happya survival kit.
Then Process and Release – you need to confront and heal from past trauma letting go of the things that hinder your growth and the pursuit of your dreams.
Its also essential to Preserve Your Space of cultivating a supportive environment and surrounding yourself with the right people, those who can support you, who will lift you up, challenge you and help you grow, and importantly nurture you. Giving you a sense of belonging.
Next its saying Yes to your dreams of daring to be bold and having the vision of what you want in your life.
Then its about taking the action and Activating Your Life and taking proactive steps to put in place your vision and make it your reality.
The challenges highlighted in the report are not just indicators of personal strife but of a societal shift that requires us to reevaluate what we value and how we define success and happiness.
With the challenges we’re facing today, it’s clear a shift towards positive psychology away from the illness ideology of our mental health system it’s just beneficial its essential.
If you want to know how you can improve your wellbeing, then head on over to happyacoach.com where you can complete the Happya Life quiz to understand where you need to focus and get started with the Happya Life Starter Guide. We have a wealth of resources available. I shall leave the links in the show notes.
And don’t forget to subscribe so you can listen in to more ways in which you can live a happya life. Thanks for listening.