Wellness & Well-being Highlights March 25

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of March 25, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog highlights how some Spring Break locations are providing Narcan to guests in order to address the opioid crisis—to how loneliness and isolation continue to impact our societies long after COVID—to how immigration is actually helping the US economy (by filling low wage jobs) vs that of our Asian counterparts where birth rates have steadily dropped. This week I would like to highlight the deluge of reports regarding the topic of HAPPINESS. Whether its comparing cultures, genders, or age groups, in most cases, the Nordic countries appear to hold most of these cherished top slots. Issues to consider:

1) While the reasons for this may be as difficult to count as hairs on one’s head, I cannot help but reflect on my experience visiting a trade show booth at the World Skills Contest in Germany during the summer of 2013. As I approached the Finland’s booth, I noticed a booklet on how their secondary vocational educational system integrates Mental Health trainings into their coursework. This reassured me that the path the Carpenters in St. Louis recently undertook indeed had merit (We implemented an online Financial Literacy course as a launching point to address broader Mental Health issues in the construction industry);

2) The US dropped out of the top 20 ranking. Why? Mostly due to the dip in happiness reported among people under 30; and

3) While women report to be happier—in general—they, at the same time, report to be more distressed—day-to-day–vs men.

Upon further inspection, one may find that a “culture”—at home and work—may hold the secrets to the Nordic’s success. One where “win at ALL costs” (mostly driven by age-old paternal structures) has been replaced by caring and cooperation!

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/us/world-happiness-report-finland-us.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/relationships/why-arewomen-both-sadder-and-happier-than-men-4ffe1ba4?st=5nqgoak2u5jlgf4&reflink=article_gmail_share

Spring Break & Narcan

Female Happiness Paradox

Youth & Happiness (1)

Youth & Happiness (2)

Culture & Happiness

Finland & Happiness (1)

Finland & Happiness (2)

Canada & Happiness

Income & Children’s Brains

Adult Children & Drug Misuse