IN DAYS like these it may sound strange but on March 20, as every year since 2012, we celebrate the World Happiness Day set up by the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization. A date, deliberately close to the spring equinox, which celebrates the effort of human beings to achieve serenity and well-being. On the same occasion, this year with a streaming event, the World Happiness Report, a report on the state of happiness in the world which also contains the list of the happiest countries (https://worldhappiness.report/)
Does it make sense to talk about happiness right now? ” It can have a lot, if we don’t consider the happiness as an extreme emotion, linked to sensations out of the ordinary, but as an inner condition generated by the ability to live in harmony and to adapt positively to the situation, however complex “, he remembers Antonella Delle Fave, professor of general psychology at the University of Milan, who on the occasion of the day promotes in collaboration with the Municipality of Milan and the Italian Society of Positive Psychology a virtual conference dedicated to ‘The age of wisdom, resources and opportunities’.
We think positive
Identifying possible resources even in the most difficult situations is the suggestion that comes from Positive Psychology, born at the end of the last century to help people live better. Thanks to scholars such as Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the creator of the concept of flow, the state of Welfare that we live when we dedicate ourselves to an occupation that gratifies and engages us, such as playing an instrument or practicing the sport we love but also doing our job well. The search for meaning is the message that comes from positive psychology: “Instead of analyzing deficits or pathologies, we focus on the person’s resources and the possibility of mobilizing them”, remembers Delle Fave. And more and more studies show that even chronically ill people or people with severe disabilities can have, and carry out, plans for happiness. But there is more. “Today we know that the happiness, understood as the ability to give meaning to one’s life, it is good for health helps to live better and longer”, Remembers Delle Fave. This is confirmed by the most recent studies by Andrew Steptoe of University College London who analyzed the data of the English Longitudinal Study on Aging showing that a rewarding life is often even longer and healthier. “We have seen,” explains Steptoe in his article, “that the people who manage to make sense of their lives are those who have better physical and mental health, healthier lifestyles and more favorable biological markers.” age, sex and socio-economic status: the variables that matter are above all family or friends relationships, social commitment, the desire to carry out activities together with others.
Something beautiful in the days of the lockdown
“Even in difficult situations there are elements that make us feel good”, remembers Dalle Fave. The lockdown allows us to rediscover what we normally take for granted, reconnect neglected friendships, cultivate interests set aside for lack of time. “And as soon as possible”, suggests the teacher, “doing physical activity, which plays an essential role for our well-being, especially if we combine it with sociability, for example by taking a lesson on Zoom with friends”.
Making sense of existence
Being happy does not mean ignoring difficulties, but not being overwhelmed by them. And the statistics show that, if a minimum of well-being gives serenity, income is not the fundamental variable, especially if we consider happiness in the newest perspective that relates the well-being of the individual with the development of the community: “In different countries there are different approaches: the Western world is keen to connect happiness to personal well-being with a more individualistic vision, while in other cultures happiness is not a goal to be achieved at all costs but a path ”, explains Delle Fave. Thus, if we talk about happiness understood as individual satisfaction, the richer countries are generally also the happiest ones, “but if we consider the ability to give meaning to our existence, enhancing the relationships with our fellow men which are fundamental for psychological well-being , many countries in South America have a level of happiness higher than that of the United States ”.
And in recent years, the ranking of happiness sees the Scandinavian countries at the top: from the data collected by the UN it clearly emerges how the social, urban and natural environment affect happiness itself. A theme at the center of the Milanese conference, “an opportunity”, concludes Delle Fave, “and to reflect on how technologies and services can contribute to building a more liveable city for all citizens”.
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