GoVox can help to measure and monitor happiness in your organisation

When it comes to our emotional state, it can be hard to recognise or admit that we’re not feeling good or functioning well, less still reach out for support. Those who are struggling may easily slip beneath the radar.

That’s why the power of check-in is key: GoVox doesn’t ask blunt questions like “are you lonely?”, but rather “are you happy with the amount of time you have spent with colleagues this week?”, with users able to select from multiple choice responses at the tap of a finger.

By sensitively gathering data and turning it into insight, the dynamic ‘Online Wellbeing Dashboard’ enables you to identify and monitor potential triggers of mental health and wellbeing concerns, then effectively target and evaluate your resilience interventions.

What is happiness?

For millennia, philosophers, researchers and spiritual leaders have debated the definition of happiness. The hedonic view of wellbeing is that we’re all here to experience maximum pleasure and avoid pain. But as we know, the instant gratification of a glass of wine, an entertaining movie or a new purchase tends to be short-lived.

The eudaimonic view of wellbeing focuses on the type of lasting contentment that is achieved through finding meaning and purpose. As Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “Happiness is not a goal, it’s a by-product of a life well lived”.

Happiness is about how we feel – but it’s more than just a fleeting mood. It’s a mentality, a state of emotional wellbeing that enables us to make the most of the good times, but also cope effectively with the inevitable bad times. Happiness is not so much determined by what’s happening around us, but what’s happening inside us.

The state of happiness

Happiness isn’t something to be chased – a pay rise, promotion or exam success – rather, it’s about our relationship with our self and other people. When we let people decide how happy we are, we give away the most basic control of ourselves to others. By being happy, we have the potential to change other people’s lives for the better just by being ourselves.

In recent decades, society has become substantially richer, but not happier. Mental ill health is one of today’s greatest social challenges, and is the cause of more widespread, indiscriminate suffering in society than poverty or unemployment.

That’s why enlightened policymakers are starting to call for countries’ measurements of prosperity to be based on wellbeing and happiness, not just economic indicators like GDP.

The impact of happiness

Happy people are more resilient and able to see the bigger picture, which enables them to cope better with life’s general ups and downs, as well as stress, grief and hardship.

Happiness is good for our physical health – happy people are less likely to get sick and more inclined to live a healthy lifestyle.

People with a happy disposition are more easily able to develop meaningful relationships with people who love, accept and value them.

Happier people are more likely to make a positive contribution to society, whether by voting, doing voluntary work, helping others in need, or taking part in public activities.

And guess what? The traits and habits of happy people – resilience, physical activity, meaningful relationships, compassion and generosity – are all shown to make us happier, creating a virtuous circle.

Why happiness is important

Happiness is fundamental to our own goals in life and has a positive effect on all those we come into contact with.

By learning to detach from negative thoughts and self-doubt, and rationalising problems as challenges to be overcome, we can change the way we respond to external triggers so they have less capacity to cause us fear, worry, dissatisfaction or misery.

By placing happiness at the cornerstone of our existence, we can be much more effective in creating the kind of society – and world – we want.