In today’s modern, developed western societies, people have sacrificed financial certainty, personal development and pursuits (hobbies), mindfulness, health and well-being, to instead focus on and secure social and familial stability.
In an ongoing survey of how people feel and rate aspects of life, early data has revealed that the value in maintaining a bouyant social circle, spending time with family and significant partners, in a stable residential environment, is at the forefront of peoples’ minds. However, this investment in time, focus, energy and devotion, comes at a cost.
Close to 50% of respondents reported a need to re-look at and revamp their day to day finances, that could be connected to just over 40% of respondents needing to get their primary occupation back on track. Realising that such significant areas of our life and contributors to daily stress, such as financial instability (or a pay-check to pay-check subsistence) are not in balance for a large number of people, it is no wonder that other areas of our lives are placed in imbalance as well.
The common shortage in western societies is the commodity of time. That is clearly evident in the results, when it comes to the ability of people to devote energy to self development and personal creative pursuits. 65% of people reported less than ideal levels of comfort with the ability to simply create personal space for reflective thought and relaxation. 46% had improvement to make in health and well-being. And 65% of people had let their creative and pastime pursuits down in lieu of devoting resources towards family and friends.
We are indeed and always have been social beings and it seems when under pressure, when the modern world is overwhelming us, we seek solace and safety with our tribe. As evidence of that social DNA that ties us together irrespective of socioeconomic and demographic divides, survey respondents across all ages, highlighted that spending time with family and fostering our social circles were critical aspects of life that not only are we happy with but form a central focus for us. Our feelings about these life satisfaction parameters are proof positive of our devotion to them. 70% of survey participants reported happiness and balance with the time they devoted to family and 60% of us actively cultivate our social circles.
As the survey continues, we’ll explore the results further in the context of social and psychological research on the power of balance across all life aspects and how people can find that balance from a seemingly limited pool of resources including time and money.
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