The International Day of Happiness takes place each year on the 20th of March. Philosophers dating back to Aristotle’s time have tried to understand what makes people happy and have come up with many theories. The first World Happiness Report was published in 2012 and the first International Day of Happiness was celebrated in 2013. Since then, there has been an increased awareness of happiness and well-being as a measure of success. Before this, progress focused predominantly on increasing bottom lines and encouraging economic growth.

The World Happiness Report (WHR)

The World Happiness Report is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UNSustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR’s Editorial Board. The report is published every year and details the latest rankings of the world’s happiest countries. You can take a look at the latest report here: bit.ly/HappinessReport2023

Happiness factors

While there are most certainly personal differences when it comes to happiness, the World Happiness Report has identified the following six consistent factors across those countries that score well:

  1. A higher GDP per capita
  2. A strong social support system
  3. Higher life expectancy
  4. Greater freedom
  5. Absence of government and corporate corruption
  6. Charitable giving

What about work and happiness?1

There is much talk about the future of work and how the Fourth (and Fifth) Industrial Revolutions will influence that work. While we may not know exactly how the world of work will transform over the decades ahead, we do know that we are all set to work about 80,000 hours in our lifetimes. That is a lot of time! It makes sense therefore for us to pay attention and discover what makes for a happy 80,000hours.

The six key ingredients

The website 80,000 hours details the six key ingredients of a dream job. Interestingly, income does not feature on the list. Neither does a “low-stress” environment. Research shows that above a certain threshold, an increase in income does not have as great an impact on happiness as people may think.2 Studies also show that not all stress is bad stress.3 A certain amount of eustress or good stress ensures that you are extended and challenged—just enough—to feel fulfilled at work. So, if it’s not money or an easy ride that makes people happy at work, what does?

Essentially, the key ingredients include:

  1. Work that is engaging: you’re aiming for that flow state.
  2. Work that helps others: helping others creates meaning/purpose.
  3. Work that you are good at: this does not mean that you need to be brilliant at your job on day one, but rather that you have the potential to achieve in your fi eld. Achievement is a key ingredient of life satisfaction.
  4. Work with supportive colleagues: this is about relationships.
  5. Work that does not have major negatives such as unfair pay/a long commute/very long hours/job insecurity. These very quickly lead to job dissatisfaction.
  6. Work that fits your personal life: you may not be able to find all these elements in your day job. You may volunteer to help others or build excellent relationships through a hobby or club that you have joined. This key point is about making sure your career fits in with the rest of your life.

Future work, AI and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)

AI and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, while positive in many ways, bring several challenges, particularly in Africa. Challenges include unequal access to technologies as well as to the benefits and opportunities that they bring, data privacy concerns, and ethical dilemmas, amongst others.

Fortunately, our next generation of young people (also known as Gen Z) who are entering the job market, are uniquely positioned to tackle these complex issues while finding fulfilment in their careers. These are challenges that are certain to create work that is engaging and meaningful (key ingredients, points 1 and2 above). What’s more, Gen Z is the most educated, racially and ethnically diverse, and socially and environmentally conscious generation. Their contributions will be beneficial for their own career satisfaction as well as being central to navigating the Fourth Industrial Revolution and beyond.

If you are curious about which jobs are likely to be the most impactful jobs of the future, those that address the world’s most pressing problems, the 80,000 Hour website delves into these in great detail. Take a look here: bit.ly/HoursAC

Video clips/websites

How Do We Measure Happiness? World Happiness Report 2023 (2.19)
bit.ly/HowWeMeasureHappiness

Delve into the archives of the World Happiness Report here:
bit.ly/HappinessArchives

Embracing the Future: The Path of Nature Guides in the 5th Industrial Revolution by Alex van den Heever –
bit.ly/NewEraNatureGuides

Alex van den Heever is the director of Eco Training and, together with Renias Mhlongo, author of “Changing a Leopard’s Spots”. In the blog, you can read more about how a career as a nature guide, conservationist, or guardian of the natural world is aligned with the Fifth Industrial Revolution.

 


REFERENCES

  1. Todd, B. & MacAskill, W. ‘Start Here. Why We’re Here and How We Can Help,’ 80 000 Hours,[Electronic], Available: bit.ly/StartHereAC [25 Feb 2024].
  2. Wiblin, R. ‘Everything You Need to Know About Whether Money Makes You Happy,’ 80 000Hours, [Electronic], Available: bit.ly/HappyMoneyAC [25 Feb 2024].
  3. Duda, R. ‘Will High Stress Kill You, Save Your Life, or Neither?’ 80 000 Hours, [Electronic],Available: bit.ly/TheHighStressQuestion [25 Feb 2024].

If you are using the Achieve Careers LO Programme, the following information and activities are recommended:

  • International Women’s Day: GR 10 LO (Gender Equity), GR 8 CAPS (Gender Equity)
  • Career research: GR 10 LO and GR 11 LO
  • Community responsibility and happiness: GR 9 LO (Community Responsibility)
  • Teacher’s Flash Drive – LO Resources – Careers and Career Research

If you are using the Achieve Careers LO Programme, the following information and activities are recommended:

• GR 10 LO Manual – Module 3 (Skills Development)
• GR 10 LO Manual – Module 5 (Career Research)
• GR 11 LO Manual – Module 4 & 5 (Career Research & Critical Thinking)
• RAK: GR 9 LO Manual – Module 3 (Community Responsibility)
• Social Justice: GR 10 LO Manual – Module 2 (Community Service)
• Suicide Prevention: GR 9 LO Manual – Module 2 (EQ: Mental Health and Mindfulness)
• Teacher’s Flash Drive – LO Resources – folder on Careers and Critical Thinking

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