Latest news with #lifeSatisfaction
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
3 Meaningful Reasons Why People Choose Parenthood, By A Psychologist
While parenthood can be challenging, many parents find greater purpose in their choice, according to ... More new research. Here's why. Parenting is no easy feat. It takes years of physical and mental effort and financial means to raise children. Why then, do many people continue to choose to have children if it does not necessarily boost life satisfaction? New research, using data from 30 European countries, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family shows that this decision has more to do with the meaning it contributes to our lives than how happy it makes us. This finding held true in the study, regardless of gender, social and national backgrounds. In my recent interview with the lead authors of the study — Ansgar Hudde and Marita Jacob from the Department of Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Cologne, Germany — it became clear that life satisfaction is not the only outcome worth considering when it comes to parenting. 'Parenthood contributes to meaning for all groups, no matter how intense their parenting is or how challenging their circumstances,' the authors said. It's not as though parenthood cannot be satisfying, but it depends on how demanding the experience is. 'For fathers, on average, parenting is less intense and comes with lower burdens in terms of time, physical and emotional energy than for mothers,' the authors explain, highlighting how gender roles can impact life satisfaction as a parent. Here are three reasons why, despite its challenges, parenthood can enhance parents' meaning in life, according to the study. 1. They Can Focus On A Hopeful Future Parenthood is future-oriented. Parents may have to go through sleepless nights to look after their toddlers, change diapers day in and day out and face daily tantrums, but they're willing to endure these challenges to give their children a good life. Parents gain meaning from the difficulty of their sacrifices, if they feel purposeful. They may be willing to raise someone who can thrive in life by investing significant time, energy and resources in them with the hope of a good outcome. For instance, parents may set aside a savings account for their children's college education, even if they are juggling multiple jobs and trying to cope with daily stress and exhaustion. They may have to endure temporary pain, perhaps cut back on non-essential and even essential spending. But the act in itself carries meaning, so they may still see it as a hopeful sacrifice. Prior research has found that living with children can reduce life satisfaction for individuals with challenging circumstances, such as single parents, those with a lower socioeconomic status or residents of countries lacking supportive policies. Even then, they find a strong sense of meaning in the act of parenting. This suggests that life satisfaction is situational, whereas meaning is tied to future aspirations. 'We would expect that the 'meaning premium' is greatest during the very first period after childbirth, but that some portion remains for life,' the authors noted. There may be times when the responsibilities parents hold weigh heavier than their sense of purpose, but their long-term goal of raising their child appears to remain a steady source of meaning. 2. Parenthood Is Oriented Toward Giving, Not Receiving Life satisfaction is more closely linked to having one's needs met, to one's current well-being and hedonic happiness. In contrast, meaning in life involves having a sense of purpose and recognizing that one's actions contribute to something greater than oneself. Hedonic happiness may come from enjoyable experiences, such as vacations and parties, but meaning in life comes from being able to give back to society, which increases our sense of connection to others, strengthens our sense of self and the values we stand for. It also makes us feel like we are part of something bigger. The latter is the case for parenting. Parents are aware that their children need and depend on them for their emotional and physical needs. This heightens their sense of significance. The bond they have with their children gives them a sense of belonging and emotional connection. For family-oriented people, parenting also aligns with their core identity and values. But is it possible that individuals with a stronger sense of meaning are more likely to become parents in the first place? 'With the data we use — a large, cross-sectional study from many European countries — we cannot entirely rule out that people with a stronger sense of meaning are more likely to become parents in the first place,' the authors said, though they have another ongoing study to test this directly. 3. Other Goals Can Feel More Meaningful As A Result Of Parenting Parents may find additional meaning in goals that aren't necessarily related to parenting. For instance, they may hold onto a job they find repetitive, stressful or uninspiring. While it may not be enjoyable on a day-to-day basis, it can still be deeply meaningful for many parents because of what it represents, rather than what it feels like. Jobs held by individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds often offer more opportunities to find or experience meaning in the workplace. 'People with higher socioeconomic status typically receive greater societal recognition, so they're more likely to have society reflect back that what they do has purpose and meaning,' the authors note. Such individuals may also have the option to quit or take a break from work — an option people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may not have. They may be forced to stick to jobs they are unhappy with. However, if their job helps them provide for their children, it gives them a reason to work. They feel the onus of responsibility and the need to contribute to the financial wellbeing of their family. Childrearing also serves as a buffer against existential anxiety. It keeps parents rethinking their purpose in life, because taking care of their children often becomes their primary purpose. However, parenting is not the only path to seeking meaning in life. The authors suggest that non-parents can also find greater purpose elsewhere, by finding meaningful opportunities in their work, for instance, in caregiving and teaching professions, or from volunteering. 'Such activities could be particularly powerful when they serve people who are especially in need: children from challenging family circumstances, the sick and poor, or people experiencing loneliness. Overall, there are countless ways we can contribute to something beyond ourselves,' the researchers explain. As for parents, they also deserve all the support they can get. While happiness may not be what drives them, it is possible to experience both meaning and happiness in parenthood, should you choose it. Are the challenges of parenthood getting to you? Take this science-backed test to learn more: Parental Burnout Assessment
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Forbes
5 Questions To Help You Define Enough After Retirement
CHIMAYO, NEW MEXICO - OCTOBER 22, 2018: A tourist pulling a recreational vehicle, or RV, approaches ... More the small town of Chimayo, New Mexico. (Photo by) One question I've been thinking about lately is this: When is enough, enough? Knowing that you have limited time on this planet, what do you need in order to look back on your life and feel satisfied? Given that we live in a society that worships more, more, more, this can be tricky to answer. It's critical, however, that you define what is enough for you, especially after you're done with your main career and entering full or semi-retirement. To help get people who attend my workshops thinking, I often ask them about their role models. Who is living a life that looks attractive to you? My husband and I like to observe how others are spending their resources of time, money, and energy. It is not about judging how others are living their lives. It is about looking for ideas and deciding how we want to live the next phase of our life. For instance, some people strive to buy second homes and then spend time decorating and furnishing these homes. That's their version of enough. For other people, 'enough' might simply be a roof over their head and the ability to go on road trip adventures, and so they downsize and move into an RV. Or they buy an RV so that can travel to places that are hard to get to without having a car. My husband is a wealth advisor and has followed Warren Buffett's investing philosophy for a long time – and we also admire how Buffet has chosen to live his life. For instance, Buffett has lived in the same home in Omaha that he bought in 1958. 'I'm happy there. I'd move if I thought I'd be happier someplace else,' he explained. For him, that home was enough. Personally, I find one home a challenge to maintain given other demands and desires for my time. For my husband and I, more than one home would demand money, time, and upkeep that we would rather spend elsewhere. Figuring out what is 'enough' is tied to figuring out our priorities and how we want to spend our resources. Choosing What You Worship This topic reminded me of the commencement speech by David Foster Wallace in 2005 at Kenyon College, later published as his book 'This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion about Living a Compassionate Life.' He spoke of the importance of choosing what we 'worship': … If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It's been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness. Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful, it's that they're unconscious. They are default settings. Life after retirement can be lived on default settings unless we make intentional decisions about how we spend our resources. What Is Enough To You? Michael Kay has written extensively about what is enough after retirement. He notes that his conversations with clients always circle back to that particular client's values. His clients often define the financial idea of enough as: 'Enough to not outlive resources, given a particular lifestyle. Enough to provide college for grandchildren. Enough to benefit others through charitable donations.' Kay talks about how fear keeps us worried about if we have enough. But enough for what? What 'enough money' means to you is obviously very important. But you should think about what you need to live your life with no regrets in other areas as well. See below for five questions to ask yourself in order to assess what enough means for you. Whether we are still working or not, we still only have 24 hours in a day. Time is our most precious resource. When will we have more time than we have right now? What do we have to give up (or do more of) for us to have enough? When I interviewed Sahil Bloom, author of 'The Five Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life,' for my 'Becoming a Sage' podcast, he said 'Never let the quest for more distract you from the beauty of enough.'
Free Malaysia Today
10-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Why parents may have a greater sense of appreciation for life
Parenthood doesn't guarantee happiness, but it can offer meaning and a sense of direction in life. (Rawpixel pic) PARIS : Parenthood is frequently perceived as an essential step towards personal fulfilment. Behind this tenacious myth lies a more nuanced reality – having children doesn't necessarily make you happier, but it may well make life more meaningful, according to a major European study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family. Conducted by Ansgar Hudde and Marita Jacob, researchers at the University of Cologne, this sociological survey is based on the responses of over 43,000 Europeans from 30 countries. The experts aimed to identify the effects of parenthood on the two pillars of well-being: life satisfaction, and the feeling of leading a meaningful life. They found that being a parent doesn't systematically make people happier, especially over the long term. On the other hand, it does profoundly alter people's perception of their own existence. 'Previous debates about parenthood have focused too much on happiness and satisfaction,' Hudde explained. 'Our study shows that people who have children are not automatically happier, but they are more likely to feel that their own lives are meaningful and valuable.' However, the relationship between parenthood and life satisfaction varies in relation to social circumstances. Mothers from modest backgrounds have a lower level of life satisfaction than women from equivalent socioeconomic backgrounds without children. On the other hand, this difference is much less pronounced among women from wealthier backgrounds. As for men, the parental factor seems to carry little weight in life satisfaction, regardless of social background. When it comes to finding meaning in life, however, boundaries blur. Whether men or women, rich or poor, parents are more likely to say their existence has value. This sense of meaning transcends borders and social circumstances. And under certain conditions, happiness and meaning can go hand in hand. This is typically the case in Nordic countries, where family policies and institutional support enable parents to reconcile personal fulfilment and parenthood. 'The results show that good societal conditions can make both things possible: meaning and satisfaction,' Hudde stressed. Among other major findings, the researchers reported that the birth of a first child triggers a peak in satisfaction – which is short-lived. On the other hand, the feeling of having a meaningful life takes hold for good. It's a reminder that, while parenthood doesn't guarantee happiness, it can offer a sense of direction; a reason for being that can help us withstand the ups and downs of life.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The happiest area of the UK - where people are least likely to get depressed, according to new data
New data released by the Office of National Statistics has revealed Britain's happiest—and unhappiest—regions. Every year, since 2011, the statistics watchdog asks tens of thousands of people in the UK to rank their happiness, life satisfaction, anxiety levels and sense of worth out of 10. According to data released today, those living in the South West of England are most likely to be generally happy. Residents living in the mainly rural area, consisting of Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, scored an average of 7.6 on the happiness index. And more than a third of residents reported very high levels of happiness, scoring between nine and 10. Overall, the UK scored an average of 7.43 out of 10 for happiness, with Northern Ireland being home to the happiest people, who rated their happiness at 7.7. Conversely, the North East, North West and West Midlands jointly claimed the bottom slot, with residents ranking their happiness score as 7.3 on average. Average happiness scores are on the rise in the UK, after scores dropped to 7.39 in 2022/23—the lowest figure logged since the pandemic. Interestingly, levels of happiness tend to increase as people get older, with 70 to 74-year olds obtaining the happiest scores. In reponse to questions about life satisfaction, the South West of England logged one of the highest rates, along with Yorkshire and the Humber and the East of England, with residents ranking contentment with life as 7.6 out of 10. At the other end of the scale came London and the West Midlands, where residents reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction. The West Midlands is home to the highest number of residents who reported very low levels of life satisfaction, with nearly one in 10 residents ranking between zero and four. The average UK anxiety levels meanwhile have remained the same between 2023 and 2024, hovering at around 3.2. Apart from the year Covid hit, this remains the highest figure on record. Residents in the East Midlands and London saw the highest levels of anxiety last year, from October to December, with over a quarter of East Midlands residents ranking their panic between six and 10. Millennials aged between 30 and 34 expressed the highest levels of anxiety. Whilst statisticians did not indicate what specifically could be behind this, the data covers a period in which Britain was facing a cost-of-living crisis, with millennials hit the hardest on an inflation-adjusted basis. The ONS also highlights limitations of the survey, which only features residents living at private addresses. It does not currently include most communal establishments—such as student halls of residence, hospitals, care homes and prisons.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- BBC News
What it's like to live in the happiest country on Earth
Finland has topped the World Happiness Rankings for the eighth year running – but the real appeal for travellers lies in the country's deeply-lived values of balance, nature and everyday contentment. Finns tend to accept the accolade of supreme happiness, bestowed on them by the UN's World Happiness Report in March 2025 for the eighth time in a row, with a collective shrug and eye roll. But Finnish travel operators are celebrating as travellers increasingly make the connection between Finland and happiness, hoping to come and experience that Finnish brand of happiness for themselves. However, don't expect to be greeted with howls of laughter and cheerful quips when you land at Helsinki Airport or disembark from one of the Baltic ferries in the capital's harbour. There is some truth in the perception of Finland being a no-nonsense, down-to-earth kind of nation. Generally, Finns are flattered – happy, even – to be honoured by the report's conclusions, but while graciously accepting them, they feel "happiness" isn't really the right word. Instead, "contentment", "fulfilment" or "life satisfaction" are widely considered more appropriate terms. As Finnish President Alexander Stubb recently posted on Facebook: "No one can be happy all the time, and sometimes circumstance makes it difficult. But getting the basics right – security, freedom and equality – is a good start." But while the concept of happiness in Finland may be nuanced and culturally specific, it is deeply embedded in the fabric of daily life. Rather than seeking constant highs, the Finnish approach is rooted in balance, connection and quiet contentment – qualities that increasingly resonate with visitors. And for travellers, this state of being is not just something to observe but one to get involved with first-hand, through embracing the country's nature, sauna culture, food, sustainable design and lifestyle. "We see Finnish happiness as a summary of these five elements," says Teemu Ahola, director of international operations at Visit Finland, "but we don't measure or collect data to evaluate happiness as a single attraction in itself". To experience these tangible, authentic aspects of Finnish life that underpin its consistent happiness ranking, Ahola suggests Finnish sauna culture as an increasingly popular, most globally identifiable attraction; and stresses that Finland is a safe country, naming the risk of bumping into free-roaming reindeer in northern Lapland as one of the few potential hazards for visiting tourists. Meanwhile, he adds, a new and confident generation of Finnish chefs has earned international respect for and interest in the Finnish culinary scene. Finland is home to the world's northernmost Michelin star restaurant, Tapio, in Ruka-Kuusamo; and the Saimaa Lakeland region was named a European Region of Gastronomy in 2024. Many restaurants across Helsinki celebrate the edible riches – mushrooms, berries, fish and game – that are accessible to all in the country's endless forests, coastal archipelagos and inland waterways through Finland's Jokaisenoikeudet or "Everyman's Right", a law that grants everyone the freedom to roam and forage. Connect with nature Helsinki, where most visitors start or end their trip, offers a first-hand glimpse of this national contentment. This is a seaside city, spread over a beautiful natural archipelago and reclaimed land. It's easy to grab a city bike from one of the dozens of stands around town and head off to explore the coast-hugging cycling routes or disappear into Central Park, a belt of forest that stretches from the city centre to its northern periphery. The endorphin boost experienced by this kind of freewheeling adventure and access to plentiful natural resources ties directly into the UN's happiness metrics of life expectancy, freedom and positive emotions. This connection can be found at the heart of SaimaaLife, a nature and wellness company in eastern Finland's sprawling Saimaa Lakeland region, run by mental health expert and guide Mari Ahonen. Ahonen is an enthusiastic advocate of the mental balance that Finnish nature and lifestyle have to offer and leads her guests through shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), traditional lakeside saunas, wild swimming, foraging trips for mushrooms and berries and cooking over an open fire. "We Finns can be too modest," she says. "We should notice the World Happiness status in a positive way. I'm a living example of having been able to develop a business with the support that has been available for my entrepreneurship. Some people say it's a lottery win to be born in Finland." A lottery win, that is, in the form of life satisfaction and balance; of living comfortably and having "enough" in a material sense. This ceiling of expectation shouldn't be confused with a lack of ambition or resourcefulness. After all, this is the birthplace of mobile communications pioneer Nokia, the distinctive garden tool and scissor brand Fiskars and textile and clothing icon Marimekko. Stoic and stubborn Finland isn't immune from economic pressure or controversies, however, and the long, dark winters can put a strain on mental health. The Finnish idea of happiness also includes a dose of sisu: a hard-to-translate concept of resilience, fortitude, courage and grit. Finnish-Canadian author Katja Pantzar, who has written extensively about this perceived national quality, explains that it's "a mindset that allows people and communities to work together in the face of challenges rather than give up or blame and attack others". More like this:• The 25 best places to travel in 2025• The European region where young people are happiest• Turku: Finland's under-the-radar Nordic destination She notes that the top four nations in the World Happiness Report are all Nordic countries with strong welfare systems designed to support the collective good. "Happiness is very culturally specific," she said. "In Finland, there are many examples of everyday happiness that are available and accessible to everyone, whether it's nature – every person in Finland is on average about 200m from the nearest forest, park, seashore or natural body of water – saunas, public libraries, safe and efficient public transport, free clean drinking water, education or healthcare." Pantzar also highlights the mood-boosting properties of contrast therapy – hot saunas followed by cold dips – as an accessible, every-day mood booster. "It's incredibly easy to do in Helsinki, surrounded by the sea," she says. "When you don't need to travel great distances or pay large fees to have a quick dip, it's easier to do more regularly, before or after work or on your lunch break." And while some Finns remain sceptical of the "happiest nation" label, most seem to appreciate what they have. "I don't find it easy to think of Finland as the happiest country in the world," says pensioner Juha Roiha. "In poorer countries like Thailand and Nepal, people seem relaxed in spite of any hardship. In Finland, you might sometimes hear people say that they'd be happier somewhere else. But within ourselves, with what we have, we're happy." Happy Land - Finding the Inner Finn, a travel memoir by Tim Bird, will be published by Eye Books in the UK in January 2026. It takes a "sideways" look at Finland's happiness status. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
