1. Happiness, Health & Safety (reasons to be cheerful)
Professor Craig A. Jackson
Professor of Workplace Health Psychology
Head of Psychology

2. Context…

3. Battling cynicism in OH

4. No Gimmickry
No Snake oil

5. Q.1 Should you make people happier? Q.2 Could you make people happier?
Your role in Health & Safety
Keep people safe
Stop people getting (more) ill
Optimising safety
Promoting well-being
Q.1 Should you make people happier?
Q.2 Could you make people happier?

6. Is the UK a Happy Place?

7. An unhappy UK . . . . Has increased: GP appointments NHS costs
Crime (some)
Road traffic accidents
Sickness absence
Suicide
Depression & Anxiety
Self-harm

8. Hygge!
(hoogah)

9. Is the UK a Happy Place?
Q1.
What makes YOU happy?

10. Is the UK a Happy Place?
Q2.
What makes YOU unhappy?

11. What would YOU sacrifice for guaranteed happiness?
Is the UK a Happy Place?
Q3.
What would YOU sacrifice for guaranteed happiness?

12. The Historical Power of Happiness

13. Prosperity ≠ Happiness

14. Measuring Money!
“Standard measures of national income do not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, the joy of their play.”
Robert Kennedy

15. Measuring happiness
Ask a broad sample of people, four simple questions
Q1. Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?
“Not at all” “Completely”

16. Measuring happiness
Ask a broad sample of people, four simple questions
Q2. Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?
“Not at all” “Completely”

17. Measuring happiness Q3. Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?
Ask a broad sample of people, four simple questions
Q3. Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?
“Not at all” “Completely”

18. Measuring happiness Q4. Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?
Ask a broad sample of people, four simple questions
Q4. Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?
“Not at all” “Completely”

19. Is the UK a Happy Place?

20. Is the UK a Happy Place?

21. So is the UK Happy?
Average score of 7.5 out of 10 – which is “Fairly Happy”
Could we be happier?
What would it take to make the UK Happier?
What is the real cost of the UK not being Happier?
Is it in even our national psyche to be happy?

22. The Happy Map

23. Five Least & Most Happy Places?

24. Religion and Happiness
Q2. Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?

25. ?

27. ?

29. ?

31. ?

33. The Commodification of Happiness
Wellbeing & Wellness
Chief Happiness Officers in companies
Behavioural nudges
Emotion-centred thinking

34. Is Happiness all that matters?
Older metrics were “on time” or “good” or “expectations”
Such measures are out of date
It’s all about the “experience”
Toilets. Coffee. Driving. Education.
How did we do today?

35. Is Happiness all that matters?
Constant growth area
Happiness research: 235 articles in 2016 (pubmed.com)

36. The dreaded “unhappy customer”

37. How can we possibly be happy?
Tax (and Tax evaders)
Terrorists
Migrants / Immigrants
Deficits
National debt
Regulations
Invasion of privacy
Busybody officials
Hospital acquired infections
Heavy-handed policing
Excessive parking charges
Speed cameras

38. Positive Psychology suggests . . .
Simplicity of life
De-clutter complexity
Less is more / minimalism
Open-mindedness
Mindfulness

39. Unhappiness might be natural