EVERYONE IS IN CHARGE OF THEIR OWN HAPPINESS

One of the top priorities of the new Somerset Health & Wellbeing Strategy, ‘Improving Lives’, is that ‘Somerset residents feel happy’.

During discussions, one board member said that a member of their family had stated that ‘everyone is in charge of their own happiness’.

A rather simplistic statement on the surface but we must beware of making such off-the-cuff remarks.

Happiness, and a whole raft of other emotions, is very subjective. What might make one person happy may have the opposite effect on others.

As a Samaritan and supporter of MIND in Somerset, I am all too aware of the huge part that mental well-being plays in every aspect of our lives; the decisions we make about who we live with, where we live, how we live, what we do for work and play.

How do we measure happiness though? Can we, or should we? Are our expectations too high to begin with?

Aspirational desires for organisations are laudable, and whilst it is right to have specific targets against which one can measure achievement, we must remember that statistics are just that, numbers on a page. Behind each one lies an individual, thinking, feeling, unpredictable human being, and all too often health professionals still mention ‘mental health’ as an afterthought.

No matter what is going on around us, or what our personal circumstances are, it is the resilience that good mental health brings that will ensure we have the best chance to achieve happiness, or as close to it as we can get without outside interference.

Some people seem able to get through the most traumatic experiences seemingly unscathed, on the surface at least, whilst others can fall to pieces over something perceived as minor. One of the most important things I have learnt as a Samaritan, is that it is not what I think and feel about a situation that counts, it is how the caller feels.

We all make choices in life and the impact of those choices, good and bad, can be far reaching, especially when it involves the relationships we have with others.

In addressing many of the social problems we face the solution is usually ‘education’. I firmly believe in education, but I hate being told what to do. The ‘nanny state’ approach of much of what is circulated is unlikely to appeal to the target group it is aimed at; the neediest. Our time and attention should be focused on gaining an understanding of the reasons behind the underlying behaviour.

Isolation can be a significant cause of unhappiness but the relentless move towards digitalisation only serves to exacerbate this; not everyone has the skills or inclination to work remotely. There is no substitute for personal contact. Mental health must be at the top of the agenda for all of us as it is pivotal to our survival.