The ‘Happiness Index’
• A surprise bonus brings a smile to 36.1% of us, with finding a £10 note on the floor ranking #1 in the ‘Happiness Index’
• While over a third of us find the most happiness in booking a holiday (34.3%), a similar number simply delight in the pleasure of a hot sunny day (34.2%)
• For almost a quarter of us, it is small interactions with loved ones or friends which have the greatest ability to transform our day. 24.2% of us rejoice in receiving an ‘I love you’ text, whilst meeting up with a friend who you haven’t seen for a while brings joy to 22.9% of us
• While food is an obvious key pleasure, rising awareness about what we eat and the impact it has on the world around us means eating organic makes the ‘Happiness Index’. 8.5% of us delight in knowing that food is produced in a way that works with nature and takes care of the environment, rising to 10.9% among millennials
• Getting a seat on the bus, train or tube only pleases 1.5% of us, showing that a cramped commute needn’t ruin our day
• Surprisingly in today’s selfie-dominated world, gaining new followers or ‘likes’ on social media brings a smile to the faces of only 1.2% of us
Whether it’s receiving a thoughtful message from a loved one or enjoying the great taste of organic food – safe in the knowledge that what you are eating is good for you, animals and the planet - it’s the simple things in life that can really make our day. When it comes to when in the day we feel the happiest, results reveal that our happiness levels peak in the evening (20.8%), followed by first thing in the morning (10.1%), showing that we are most content when our time is our own.
Why organic makes us happy
Results show that the top reason why eating organic makes us happy is knowing that ‘organic food is made from real ingredients (29.5%), with no artificial colours, preservatives or GM ingredients’. This is closely followed by how ‘organic food is grown in healthy soil and on land that’s home to more wildlife’ which brings the most happiness to 28.6% of us. As a nation which values animal welfare, it comes as no surprise that the third top answer lies in ‘knowing that animals are well cared for, with freedom to forage and graze outside, leading to a happier life’ (28.5%).
- - -
The research was commissioned by Organic UK and independently conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,000.
