How does happiness research define the term "happiness"?
In surveys all over the world, people are asked how satisfied and happy they are with their life as a whole and with certain aspects of it (family, work, etc.). The answers are often recorded on an ascending scale from 0 to 10.
To what extent can one's own happiness be influenced according to the latest scientific findings?
In addition to happiness, such surveys also ask about other aspects, such as marital status, employment and social environment. This allows the influence of individual factors to be analyzed more precisely using statistical methods. Common studies come to the conclusion that the value of general life satisfaction stated by the respondents is made up of socio-economic factors, genes and the cognitive processing patterns of the respondents.
So what exactly does the perfect day look like? And what makes an ordinary day a happy day?
The survey showed that the most important things are, firstly, time with your partner, secondly, time with friends and, thirdly, relaxation.
Does a day have to be perfect all round for us to be happy, or can it also have bad moments?
Of course, every person is a little different. In our study, however, we deliberately included all activities in the daily routine that respondents typically do on a normal day. This means that less popular activities such as commuting are also included in the survey.
A perfect day and work - do they go together?
Work has been identified as a key happiness factor in a number of studies. Conversely, unemployment not only leads to financial hardship, but often also to a loss of structure in everyday life and a social network. After all, work is of immense importance for our long-term life satisfaction.
What role does money play in your model of the perfect day?
Money and financial independence play an important role in life satisfaction and happiness. People with more income and a better standard of living are, as you would expect, also happier. But of course we also know how important a functioning social environment and physical and mental health are.
Suddenly a millionaire!
Pensioner Anke Mielitz (68) from Berlin-Spandau won the SKL Millions event and received her cheque in April! "I couldn't believe my luck at first, it was like something out of a movie," she enthuses. In September, a new millionaire will be chosen from 20 randomly selected SKL players at the next event in Malta. Further information can be found at www.skl.de.