In fact, the study of 2,000 working professionals comes just in time for what leading psychologist, Dr Cliff Arnall, describes as the happiest day of the year*, and reveals that workers in certain cities are some of the happiest in the UK. The top 10 list includes:
- Brighton – 86.4%
- Swansea – 75%
- Glasgow – 70.6%
- York – 66.7%
- Lincoln – 63.2%
- Belfast – 62.5%
- Edinburgh – 62.5%
- Birmingham – 61.3%
- London – 61%
- Manchester – 60%
What’s more, according to the data, a further 56.7% of Brits enjoy their job, with this figure rising substantially for professionals in Glasgow (73.5%), Cambridge (67.5%) and Brighton (63.6%).
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library comments:
“At a time where there’s constant negativity in the press, it’s fantastic to see that the majority of Brits still feel happy on a daily basis. The findings got me thinking about an article I read once which really resonated with me: it said that success isn’t the key to happiness, it’s happiness that’s the key to success. I agree that feeling good in ourselves makes it easier to achieve our goals, whether that’s in our personal or professional lives.”
On the other hand, the cities where the percentage of respondents who said they were happy was below the national average, included Sheffield (57.7%), Bournemouth (57.1%), Oxford (55.6%), Bristol (55.6%), Newcastle (53.5%), Southampton (51.4%), Cambridge (47.5%), Liverpool (47.1%), Cardiff (44.8%), Bristol (44.4%) and Nottingham (40%).
Biggins concludes:
“No-one can be happy all the time, but being able to make the most of the good times and cope effectively when life does get tough is crucial. If you are struggling, it’s important to not only seek professional help or talk to your loved ones, but also to really consider what’s making you unhappy. Make a list and try to think of solutions: maybe it’s time to find a new job, start a new hobby, or even take some time out to think about your goals.”
*Dr Cliff Arnall claims 14th July is when Brits reach peak wellbeing levels thanks to a combination of factors, including: good weather, school holidays and longer hours of daylight
