The United Nations says Norway is the happiest place on Earth, with the US and UK at 14th and 19th, respectively, in its World Happiness Report which measures ‘subjective well-being’ to find out how the people are, and why.
Surveying people in 155 countries, the UN agency report found that Western Europe and North America dominated the top of table, while countries in sub-Saharan Africa and those hit by conflict have predictably low scores.
The survey relied mainly on a simple, subjective question: “Imagine a ladder, with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top, The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?”
And another survey recently pointed out that suffering from depression or anxiety hit individuals in the UK hardest, while being in a relationship saw the biggest increase in their happiness.
The survey, by the London School of Economics into factors affecting people’s well-being, showed that the biggest effect was caused by depression and anxiety, which saw happiness levels dip by 0.7 on the scale.
Report co-author Prof Richard Layard said: “The evidence shows that the things that matter most for our happiness and for our misery are our social relationships and our mental and physical health.”
Modern life has more people suffering from stress and anxiety than before and the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) says great demands and responsibilities are placed on us with about one in seven people suffering from stress or anxiety at any one time in the UK.
“While some people manage to cope with life’s demands, more and more people are showing signs of over-anxiety, which leads to stress, which can make a significant impact on the quality of life and wellbeing,” says the NCH.
Anxiety and stress can manifest itself differently for different people but common physical signs include a racing heartbeat, butterflies in the stomach, nausea, panic attacks and insomnia. Common psychological signs of stress and anxiety are inner tension, a fear of losing control, an irrational dread that something catastrophic is going to happen and feelings of detachment, among others.
Says the NCH: “Anxiety can also manifest itself in different worries; it may be fear of being around other people, it may be anxiety in specific social situations, anxiety in your relationships with particular people at home, at school or at work. Anxiety is a fear or concern that is exaggerated, and is out of proportion to the situation, although sometimes it may not feel like this.”
Clinical hypnotherapy can be of benefit in such situations and a hypnotherapist can help assess the anxiety, identifying its root – whether it is a situation, a physical issue, a past experience or a relationship. The therapist will then set a goal for the anxious client, asking how they wish to feel, how they would like to be, and things they would chose to do in their lives if free of anxiety.
“After sessions with a hypnotherapist you may feel more confident; more relaxed in situations that have previously challenged you. Many people say that they are calmer and that they have more clarity of thought – able to make decisions more easily,” says the NCH adding that people who have experienced side effects of anxiety such as insomnia, find that they are sleeping much better and as a result are able to work more effectively.
If you are worried about stress and anxiety in your life, contact an NCH hypnotherapist near you by using the NCH directory. This simple decision could make your life much happier and move you up a rung on that ladder.