06 Aug The Younger Generation is Becoming Less Happy
Health and happiness go hand in hand, with people reporting higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction having a lower risk of depression and longer life expectancy.
A recent study showed that young adults of this generation worldwide are becoming less happy compared to the previous generation, according to the World Happiness Report.
The study also noted that while younger people were experiencing increasing levels of unhappiness, older adults were experiencing higher levels of life satisfaction with age.
Many factors play a role in levels of unhappiness among younger people, including adversity, pressure to conform, exploration of identity, and the quality of home life and their relationships.
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What’s Driving the Happiness Decline?
Around the world, the increasing unhappiness of young people has been attributed to rising costs, the job market, climate change, and social isolation.
Globally, the Philippines has earned the reputation of being the “one of the friendliest nations.” This changed when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, ranking as the second loneliest country around the world. In the Southeast Asia, it was the most lonesome.
It was also reported that the country’s Gen Z, those in age groups born between 1997 and 2012, is one of the loneliest age groups.
Despite being the digital natives of this day and age, Gen Z is the loneliest age group most of the time.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the major reason for loneliness in the Philippines, according to a Meta-Gallup survey.
More Filipinos felt socially isolated as the country imposed one of the longest lockdowns in the world.
Experts also attributed the increasing loneliness to excessive use of social media, noting that some will rely on social media “without being socially connected.”
What Does It Mean for One’s Health?
Your moods can heavily influence your health. Studies have shown that being happier may lead to better health practices, such as improved sleeping habits, more physical activity, and healthy eating habits.
A happier disposition also helps with better immunity, reducing your risk of developing chest infections and colds. Happier people are also found to have lower levels of cortisol, which is a hormone that contributes to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Being happier also helps you to:
- Reduce the risk of developing heart disease
- Increase your life expectancy
- Reduce pain
- Reduce the risk of stroke
The good news: people can work on being happier. Harvard research found that 50% of people’s general levels of happiness are determined by their genetics; 40% is under people’s control, while the remaining 10% depends on the circumstances.
Here are some things you can do to work your way into being happier:
- Stay connected, not just on social media but also in personal interactions
- Be involved in causes you believe in by volunteering
- Invest in experiences
- Be more in touch with nature
- Break your routines occasionally to avoid monotony
- Have a grateful heart
Aside from including practices of happiness in your life and routine for your health, you can also take it a step further by being active in improving your physical health through regular preventive care checkups and lower stress levels by reducing your out-of-pocket expenses due to emergency cases.
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