Here’s How to Find Out if Your Happiness Levels Are Falling Short!

Happiness is a hard thing to define. Ultimately, what matters is an individual’s judgement of their life as a whole. When we stop taking notice of how we genuinely feel about our own existence, our well-being can decrease. Here’s how to find out if your happiness levels are falling short.

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)

The Satisfaction with Life Scale was created in 1985 by researchers Diener, Emmons, Larson & Griffin. This simple questionnaire was first published in the Journal of Personality Assessment. It is incredibly easy to complete. Participants judge how they feel about five different statements using a seven scale scoring method.

The SWLS has been developed to help individuals get a sense of their overall satisfaction level. It is widely respected for its accuracy and simplicity. Taking the test is a great starting point to get you thinking about how your happiness levels can be improved.

Below are the five statements the test asks you to consider. You must answer honestly using the 1 – 7 scale as follows:

7 - Strongly Agree
6 - Agree
5 - Slightly Agree
4 - Neither Agree or Disagree
3 - Slightly Disagree
2 - Disagree
1 - Strongly Disagree

Statements:

• In most ways my life is close to my ideal
• The conditions of my life are excellent
• I am satisfied with my life
• So far I have gotten the important things I want in life
• If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing

Add up your scores to measure your satisfaction level.

How to Improve Your Satisfaction Level

It is no surprise that good relationships increase personal happiness but did you know they also improve your health? When we are part of a romantic relationship, or a large social network, we often share good health behaviours. We are more likely to explore the world around us in positive way. Great relationships also help us to deal with stress. As many of us have started to understand, stress is a key factor in many mental and physical conditions.

So, one of the best ways to improve your satisfaction level is to increase your social network in a safe and proactive way.

At Elect, we understand the importance of connecting like-minded individuals together. Our members join us to find love, often meeting lots of wonderful new people along the way.