What Makes Teens Happy?

A blog post from 4th August 2017

Happy August! We won’t talk about the weather, because I’m bored of hearing about it – it’s the UK, it rains, get overt it!

Anyway, my job is to bring a little sunshine into your day, so let me tell you about what teenagers have told me makes them happy. I think we often focus on the problems rather than the solution when it comes to most things, but especially with our youth. So last year I did some research to find out what makes young people happy, as I know lots of them are and have very good ways of taking care of their happiness and health. So I asked over 300 11-18 years olds lots of questions relating to their happiness, physical exercise, friendships, family relationships, diet, sleep and how they handle stress and worries. Their answers confirmed a lot of what I already thought would make them happy, but the contrast between those who rated themselves as happiest and those who were less happy and what they did in their day to day lives was really striking.

So I want to share two of the top themes that came from that research in the hope that we can all take something from it that could help our own health and happiness.

What do the happiest kids do?

They spend time outdoors.

Those who rated themselves as 7/10 or more in terms of their overall happiness, 73% of them spend time outdoors daily or a few times a week, compared to those who rated themselves as under 6/10 for their happiness, only 44% spending time outdoors daily or a few times a week. When I asked them where they spent time outdoors, 68% of the happiest group spent time in fields/parks/mountains, compared to 52% of the less happy group. So unsurprisingly being outside and in somewhere green contributes to young people’s happiness and wellbeing. This year I have been doing more of my work with young people outdoors, from 1-1 sessions to group workshops and it is so much more relaxing, effective and fun! All summer I will be running fresh air sessions with The Go Girl Academy in Cardiff and The Vale, so if you know any girls aged 10-16 who would love this, check out the details their website for details.

They love music

Music popped up several times in their answers – Listening to music and playing an instrument were in their top 5 hobbies, and when asked how they calm down and relax, listening to music was the top answer. As a music lover myself I can totally relate to this. Music is a form of expression, and listening to songs that can uplift you, make you cry, inspire you or just lyrics you can relate to can be a much easier way for young people to process their feelings rather than talking. Music also brings people together, we have music at events to celebrate and in times of sadness. If you’ve ever been to a live music concert or festival you will know what I’m talking about , it feels like everyone is there for the same reason – the love of music and that unites us. One way I like to get my music fix is dancing at Morning Gloryville, it’s such an uplifting experience, where people of all ages come together to dance, let their hair down and have fun. I am currently looking at ways to bring more of this vibe into my work and will be doing some ‘serious research’ this month, watch this space……..

So how do you take care of your happiness and wellbeing? What are the things you do regularly that keep you sane? What are the young people in your life doing? Do they like to get out in the fresh air or listen to music? Let me know!!

And if you have a teenager in your life who could do with a dose of happiness, then I would love to help….