Relationships key to happiness

AS THOUSANDS of Aussies revealed what makes them happy yesterday, Dianne Jeha said the secret ingredient to her contentment was Rockhampton.

Shop owner Dianne said living in the city had allowed her relationships to succeed.

"I'm really grateful to Rockhampton. It's a place

where you can really develop relationships," the Needlework Cottage owner said.

Dianne reckons the key to her happiness has been the Rocky lifestyle which means she can spend a lot of time with her family.

With three children of her own and four grand-children, family is a priority to her.

And she agrees with the results of the Life's Good survey which suggests that Australians get their happiest moments with family and friends.

"So many things in life make me happy but family has always come first.

"The most important thing is your relationships with the people around you."

The Life's Good survey asked participants to reveal the key to a happy and fulfilling life.

This social study collected data from a selection of 66,000 Facebook users via a series of online polls.

Quintessentially Australian activities such as fishing, surfing, picnics and other sports were also found to contribute to Life's Good moments, along with good health, exercising and spending time outdoors.

The results show, however, that what really makes these activities fun are the relationships and interactions with others, with the majority of Australians preferring to exercise with friends and family, than work out alone.

The findings of the Life's Good survey support many other studies which indicate that the quality of life in Australia is among the best in the world.

Most notably; Australia recently came second, after Norway, in the United Nations' annual Human Development Index which looked at factors including health, education and life expectancy.

 

WHAT MAKES LIFE GOOD?

• Relationships - 36%
• Fun & Play - 19%
• Lifestyle balance and health - 14%
• Appreciation - 13%
• Achieving goals - 7%