In 2011, the Office for National Statistics started to measure how happy we are. This follows Prime Minister David Cameron's decision to assess the 'general wellbeing (GWB)' of Britons.
Is this all airy-fairy stuff or could it be important?
Back in 2000, NetDoctor ran a happiness survey. Happiness was not such a 'hot topic' then. But even so, the survey attracted huge amounts of publicity. And I'm convinced that the reason for this was because everyone wants to be happy.
Eleven years later, various scientific studies have emerged to tell us that happy people live longer, are less prone to heart disease, are less stressed and are more likely to form satisfying relationships.
A 2008 study by Harvard University even concluded that if you have a friend living less than a mile away from you who becomes happy, your own levels of happiness will rise by 25 per cent!
Politicians have clearly been influenced by science and have come to believe that a happy nation is easier to manage, is healthier, is less trouble and costs less to maintain compared to a miserable population.
Whether or not they're right, there's no doubt that happy people find life easier and also make it that way for those around them.
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