The other day I happened to be in conversation with an individual late in years – in fact in his nineties – who opined the view that “Happiness is for young folk – I’m just pleased to be still breathing.”
Now that may be a bit of classic Scottish cynicism, but it did get me thinking about whether happiness had a sell by date, not least at the present time when portraying faux happiness would have you run out of most social care organisations. In fact I have really pondered about whether given the week that I have just had – a week hearing stories of care home closure risk and real concern about the survival of social care in Scotland – whether because of the crazy UK Labour Government decision around Employers National Insurance or because of the crazy new regulations introduced by the Home Office around immigration – I have wondered whether or not I should even dare to write about happiness. But actually, in these challenging times I think it’s all the more important that we recognise that the value of social care is actually one which changes lives and can make people happy. That the continual failure to recognise the worth and distinctive contribution of social care and support in the lives of people is an act which itself diminishes the chance of happiness for so many people.
Why mention happiness at all, I hear you ask, well because it was the International Day of Happiness a couple of days ago on March 20th – which saw the publication by the United Nations of the World Happiness Report. It makes for an interesting read especially in times which challenge. So, for instance it states research which shows that
‘First, people are much too pessimistic about the benevolence of others. For example, when wallets were dropped in the street by researchers, the proportion of returned wallets was far higher than people expected…
(that), benevolence increased during COVID-19 in every region of the world. People needed more help and others responded. This ‘benevolence bump’ has been sustained since then. Despite a fall from 2023 to 2024, benevolent acts are still about 10% above their pre-pandemic levels…
Benevolence also brings benefits to those doing the caring and sharing. This works best if the motivation is to help others (rather than to feel good yourself), if the act is voluntary, and if it has an obvious positive impact on the beneficiary.’
The report in its many chapters argues that the link between caring and happiness seems incontrovertible and clear and if nothing else that should validate the attractiveness of the act and profession of caring and support.
A positive statement but back to the challenge of my old friend.
For those in older age the research evidence is even clearer – being healthy requires an effort to work on your happiness levels!
We know that happiness directly enhances your mental health and wellbeing. Positive emotions have also been linked to better health outcomes and increased longevity. For instance, happier individuals tend to have stronger immune systems and lower rates of chronic illnesses. Additionally, studies have shown that positive affect contributes to longer life spans.
There are lots of things that enable such psychological and physical happiness health – and social care and support plays a massive role in this. So for instance maintaining social connections and a sense of purpose is vital for aging well. Engagement in activities such as work, volunteering, or community groups has been associated with better health and increased happiness in older adults. This active participation not only provides a sense of purpose but also fosters social interactions, both of which are essential for mental and physical well-being.
What is even more interesting is validated research that shows that older adults can experience happiness even in the presence of some cognitive decline. Research indicates that many older individuals maintain a high quality of life despite cognitive impairments, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of the aging population.
So for my old friend, happiness is not the preserve of the young, if you want to be healthy and well, in older age as in any age you need to work on it and fundamentally we know that happiness is integral to the well-being of older adults, significantly impacting mental health, physical health, social engagement, and overall life satisfaction.
And when things are challenging or going bad, yet again we know from research evidence that it is precisely in these moments of adversity that the pursuit of happiness becomes not just desirable, but essential. Happiness is not a luxury afforded only in times of ease; it is a fundamental requirement, a necessity in the business of care, and a moral imperative in a just society. It is not just an individual task and requirement but a societal one.
When the United Nations, established their work on happiness including the day and week of happiness, it recognised that happiness is more than an individual feeling – it is a measure of collective well-being. In Scotland, where we take pride in a rights-based approach to social care, we have to consider what this means in practice especially in times when the very structures and foundations of care and support seem to be under such threat.
What it doesn’t mean is naïve escapism and an ignoring of the reality – one could argue that the intrinsic essence of happiness – which to recap is so essential for individuals and societal wellbeing at all ages – is under threat by some of the decisions we are making as a society.
The personal and individual joy and fulfilment which helps a carer to feel valued in his role, is diminished if all we do to articulate that is to utter some kind words or a clap – it requires fair pay and conditions which see care and support as an essential component of society.
The comfort of an older person knowing they will see a familiar face tomorrow, who is able to form lasting and valuable relationship and connection which dismisses isolation and loneliness, is not going to be achieved by a constant change and churn in the social care and support workforce and certainly not by a sense of being just another rotation in an overstretched workforce.
Equally the pride and professional satisfaction a care and support worker feels when they have the time and space to build relationships, is at real risk from the obscene commissioning of rushed 5 or 15 minute visits. What does that do for anyone’s wellbeing or happiness in role?
Happiness is about purpose, about feeling that your work matters. And yet, we have allowed a system to develop where care and support workers feel invisible, exhausted, and devalued. No amount of well-intentioned rhetoric about well-being can replace the fundamental right to work with dignity.
If we are to be serious about happiness, we need to be bold enough to reimagine social care – not as a crisis to be managed, but as a space where happiness is cultivated. We need to challenge policymakers, funders, and society at large to recognise that care and support is not just about meeting basic needs but about enabling a life of dignity, fulfilment, and, yes, happiness.
For those of us working in or alongside the sector, happiness must also be about hope. Hope that we can build a better future for social care, one where staff are valued and rewarded for their vital work, where those who need support and care can access it without delay, and where the dignity and rights of every individual are upheld. This hope is not naive; it is a call to action. It is a reminder that happiness is not something we stumble upon but something we create together, through our choices, our actions, and our commitment to one another.
Because, in the end, happiness is not just about feeling good. It’s about doing that which is right and good. And there is no greater good than caring for and supporting one another.
The American poet and activist Wendell Berry in his poem, titled ‘The Peace of Wild Things,’ beautifully captures the idea of finding solace, joy, and peace even when the world feels overwhelming as it is at the moment for many of us in the world of care and support. It resonates deeply with the theme of seeking happiness amid turmoil.
The Peace of Wild Things
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
From The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry – Scottish Poetry Library
Donald Macaskill
