NYROUNDED by Marie Haaland
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
Fast Wi-Fi, a coffee in the morning and keeping your space well organized are three of the top 30 things that contribute to personal happiness in modern times, according to new research.
Also on the list are getting a good night’s sleep and learning new things, as well as eating healthy foods and meals.
The survey, conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Circulon, looked at all the factors that people consider important for a well-rounded personal life and examined how those contribute to Americans’ happiness, then compiled the top 30.
Conducted in advance of National Cooking Day on Sept. 25 with a panel of 2,000 Americans, results found that what people prioritize in their personal lives can be a good indicator of happiness.
Those who are happy report spending more time per week with friends (5 hours vs. 1 hour), exercising (5 hours vs. 2 hours) and having more sit-down meals (7 per week vs. 6 per week).
Sit-down meals were found to be quite beneficial – three-quarters of respondents agree that eating at the table actually aids in their relaxation.
Happy people also report spending more time on their hobbies than unhappy people (4 hours vs. 1 hour) – and are more likely to partake in a variety of hobbies (four hobbies vs. one hobby).
Americans’ most-enjoyed hobbies include reading (50 percent), cooking (50 percent) and exercising (41 percent).
Healthiness and happiness seem to go hand-in-hand; those who are extremely happy are most likely to also consider themselves very healthy (57 percent).
Happy people are also most likely to stay healthy through eating healthy food (78 percent), exercising regularly (61 percent) and cooking their own food instead of eating out (56 percent).
“There’s an undeniable connection between good health, happiness and home-cooked meals,” says Ingrid Ellerbrock, Senior Director, Consumer and Shopper Marketing, at Meyer Corporation, U.S. “Every time we step into the kitchen to prepare a meal, we are demonstrating our commitment to living healthier and being happier.”
Americans, in general, believe cooking nutritious food (55 percent), having easy clean-up (54 percent) and making uncomplicated recipes (51 percent) are the most important factors when cooking.
While those who are happy are more likely to cook meals at home (seven meals per week vs. 5 meals per week), people’s level of happiness doesn’t have a strong effect on the number of meals they know how to cook.
Happy or unhappy, the average person has about 11 meals in their repertoire, though most report being willing to try new food and recipes.
“We’re glad to see that trying new foods and recipes is appealing to most people, even if they typically fall back on tried and true meals,” says Ellerbrock.
“Stepping beyond what we’re familiar with can be intimidating and take a little more time and effort, but the payoff can be so enriching. Like anything else in life, taking some risks and being a little adventurous can be hugely rewarding."
TOP 30 FACTORS FOR A WELL-ROUNDED PERSONAL LIFE:
Spending time with family 48.50
Watching TV shows/movies 48.45
Getting a quality night’s sleep/enough sleep 47.25
Taking time for yourself every day 42.15
Listening to music and/or podcasts 42.15
Spending time with friends 40.25
Keeping your house/space clean and organized 39.95
Having sex 39.85
Spending time outside/in nature 39.15
Spending time with a pet 38.50
Splurging every once in a while on something 38.20
Learning new things 38.00
Spending time on a hobby 37.00
Being responsible with money 36.25
Reading a book 35.95
Taking vacation days/traveling to new places 35.90
Exercising 35.00
Going out to dinner/drinks 34.65
Family dinners 34.40
Spending quality alone time with a partner 33.65
Eating healthy foods/meals 32.90
Having a cup of coffee in the morning 32.80
Setting and achieving goals 31.85
Getting take-out every once in a while 31.50
Drinking plenty of water 31.40
Sleeping in/having a quiet morning 30.90
Sit-down meals 30.65
Living close to family 29.95
Fast Wi-Fi 29.60
Doing activities during the day 28.65
AMERICANS’ SECRETS TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS:
Be yourself and enjoy time with family
Be willing to be wrong
Be honest with yourself
Being happy with yourself and what you have
Do what you love as often as you can
Don’t stress the small stuff
Exercise and eating right • Finding a balance in life
Finding joy, even in the hard times • Getting enough sleep
Giving and getting love
Having an open mind
Knowing yourself
Laugh a lot
Letting the past go and trying new things
Making others happy
Open communication with others and a healthy lifestyle
Positive thinking
Self-acceptance, self-contentment, self-forgiveness and self-love
Spending time with loved ones, but also making sure to spend time alone
AMERICANS’ COOKING REPERTOIRE INCLUDES:
Scrambled eggs 62.89
Hamburgers 61.96
Grilled cheese 58.46
Mashed potatoes 58.13
Rice 56.16
Macaroni and cheese 53.97
Steak 53.20
Pancakes and/or waffles 52.82
Omelet 51.89
Tacos 51.89
ENDS