Happiness Index

Posted by Jerry Lopper Jun 18, 2008

Did you feel happy yesterday? The Gallup Organization may call tonight to ask that question. Gallup, in partnership with Healthways Inc., is conducting 1000 interviews each night in the U.S. Gallup asks a series of questions about the events of the previous day and how the person felt that day.

The database of over 150,000 interviews is providing a wealth of information about health, happiness, and well being.

You may not be surprised to find that people feel more stress on work days than on weekends. Not a big revelation there, but the specifics are interesting: On Friday, June 14th, 2008, 11% of those surveyed said they had a lot of stress or worry the day before (a normal work day). On the following Monday, June 16, only 7% reported stress or worry the previous day, Sunday.

The Gallup Poll results site reports that "On a given day, 49% of Americans experience a lot of enjoyment/happiness, while 10% experience intense stress/worry. The percentage of Americans who experience a lot of happiness/enjoyment compared to those who experience intense stress/worry is highest for those who report spending six to seven hours socializing."

This confirms positive psychology researcher findings that social contact improves happiness.