A Formula for Happiness

Creating a Formula for HAPPINESS (in Your Home & Family Life) НOME is Where the Heart is... .Whilst this may be true, what is it that makes a home a happy one? Location, living space and family life all play a part, but is there is a formula to determine the ultimate path to happiness in the home? LET'S FIND OUT! Location: Every year the World Happiness Index surveys people from various countries to determine the world's happiest population. Since 2012 countries from Scandinavia have consistently dominated the Top 5. Top 5: DENMARK 2 SWITZERLAND 3 ICELAND 3 5 4 NORWAY 5 FINLAND 13 USA 23 UK 154 Bottom 5: 153 BENIN 157 154 AFGHANISTAN 155 TOGO 156 SYRIA 157 BURUNDI City Life vs. Country Life: So, you've picked the country you want to live in, but whereabouts do you want make your home? Which is best – city living or the country life? FACTOR CITY COUNTRYSIDE Air Quality Technology (eg broadband) Open Spaces Noise Levels Night Life, Restaurants etc. Privacy Access to Jobs So take your pick, but. .according to research by the Office for National Statistics (UK), people living in rural areas have a higher life satisfaction and lower levels of anxiety than their city counterparts. £25k 1 in 5 Londoners said they A sea view is on many buyers' had high anxiety levels, wishlists and could add £25k the highest in the UK to your house value Distance to Work: A survey conducted by Santander Mortgages revealed: 33% 28% of people cited proximity to work as a priority in buying of people said proximity to public transport was also a their next home top priority Commute Time: Studies by the Office for National Statistics (UK) and The Young Foundation showed that every additional minute of your daily commute increased your anxiety levels and decreased your life satisfaction. Life Satisfaction vs. Commute Time 7.3 6.9 30mins 60mins Commute Time Salary: They say money can't buy you happiness. Well, apparently it can (up to a point anyway). Nobel prize-winning research suggests that happiness increases inline with salary up to around $75,000 (or approximately £55,000). After that it pretty much levels off. $0 $40k $80k $120k $160k Annual Income And the Happiest Career? According to The Guardian newspaper these are the top three careers for happiness and work satisfaction: Engineer Teacher Nurse Average Salary: £30,000 Average Salary: £26,000 Average Salary: £40,000 Pets: Pets undeniably make us feel happier (so long as you don't have allergies). They have been proven to: Make us exercise Reduce stress Boost feel-good (well, dogs do) chemicals in our bodies Number of Pets Owned in the USA 74 MILLION 70 MILLION 58 MILLION 8.3 MILLION Cats or Dogs are a great choice! 5 MILLION 140+ million people can't be wrong Garden: A survey conducted by Santander Mortgages revealed: 12% 11% 17% of home buyers said a of home buyers said access of home buyers said south-facing garden was to a private outdoor area proximity to a green space a priority was important. was a priority Sunshine. Homebuyers would also be willing to pay around £6,000 extra for a garden with all of the above. With the added health benefits of sunshine and how happy it makes people - you're on to a winner. Number of Bedrooms: According to the Halifax bank, happiness increases linearly with the number of bedrooms a home has. The happiest homes have a ratio of more than 1.5 bedrooms per occupant. iŠti x 1-5 = So a couple living together in a house would be happiest with three bedrooms, whereas a family of two adults and two children would want a house with six bedrooms(!). In fact, if the idea of having children appeals to you, the happiest families are thought to have two daughters (according to UK parenting site, Bounty) Decor: It's no secret that colour affects our mood in different ways. Using splashes of certain colours can also change the mood of a room. Yellow Blue Orange Green Creates a Uplifting and energetic Increases Balance and focus calming effect peace Use in the Great for the Use in the Buy some houseplants home office bedroom living room Conclusions: Research by the Halifax Bank and Social Issues Research Centre recorded people defining a happy home as a place where: You feel safe You can relax You can be and secure yourself The Maths Bit. So, although some elements are difficult to quantify (e.g. home decor), the following formula can be used to work out roughly how happy your home is: 1 + 0,003v+ 0.016 Н- 4.61 - 0.025n + 0.12 In(s) + 1.3b + 1.7g- + 1.08t + 0.017d + 0.012c 1+ 0.021u n= Your country's rank in World Happiness Index S = Average Salary (£) b = No. of Children (boys) d = Own at Least 1 Dog (1= yes, O= no) C= Own at Least 1 Cat (1= yes, O= no) g = No. of Children (girls) u = Live in an Urban Area (1= yes, O= no) t = Daily Commute (mins, one way) v = House has Sea View (1= yes, O= no) r= Ratio of Bedrooms per Person f = Garden is South-Facing (1- yes, O= no) And the Happiest Home? The happiest home is located in the Scandinavian countryside by the sea where you live with your partner, two daughters and a dog. Your rear bedroom (and garden) faces south and overlooks the sea. You work as an engineer locally, earning around £50,000 ($75,000) per year. Local Engineer £50,000 /yr By the Sea Scandinavia Own a Dog 2 Daughters 6 Bedroom House Sources: WINDOWS livescience.com, worldhappiness.report thisismoney.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, halifax.co.uk &more mirror.co.uk, bbc.co.uk, santander.co.uk happify.com, techinsider.io, pnas.org, bounty.com sirc.org, parenting.com, oregonhomemagazine.com windowsonlineuk.co.uk Life Satisfaction (out of 10) Happiness