WELLBEING:EVERYONE KNOWS that happiness cannot be bought, but there are a number of things people can do to increase their own happiness and that of others.
Mark Williamson, director of Action For Happiness, is encouraging people to join the Action For Happiness movement by pledging to create more happiness in the world.
Action For Happiness was set up in April. It is a UK-based public group and now has over 16,000 members from more than 100 countries, including Ireland.
While government can do certain things to improve the happiness of a nation, it cannot force people to be happy, says Mr Williamson. The government can play its part by making people feel safe and having a stable economy with low levels of unemployment. Governments should also provide good mental healthcare, he told the festival in Bradford.
The Action for Happiness campaign wants people to take responsibility for increasing their own happiness and there are many ways an individual can do this.
Top of Mr Williamson’s list is having strong relationships with family and friends, followed by a healthy mental state and doing good things for others. There is clear evidence that happier people have better health and live longer, according to Mr Williamson.