Are we Canadians a happy lot? Macleans poll says we are so Happy Canada Day!

Well here we are, 140 years after Confederation, and it seems being a happy Canadian is one of the things that does unite this country of ours. In a recent Macleans poll of over 3000 people, they learned that 84 per cent of respondents were happy, in fact

so happy that some 55 per cent wouldn't live anywhere else. Now mind you, had the poll been taken in the middle of February when many of us are flying south for some sunshine, the results might have been different. But overall, though a bit on the heavy side, Canadians are a "shiny, happy people". So what things contribute to our 'happiness'. Well the first is we like how we look. Let me qualify that:

Almost 60 per cent of Canadians polled rated themselves an impressive seven or higher on a zero to 10-point scale, where 10 means "you are extremely satisfied with your physical appearance."

That included folks who by the standard yardsticks were even overeweight by 25 to 30lbs and not letting it get in the way of their happiness. I'm happy to say belong to that group. Being less concerned with my looks is one of the joys of growing older i.e. it's just not that important any more. But here's an interesting aside to that: most who were happy with their looks were also happy with their financial situation. The converse was also true. Oddly enough, they didn't ask me about that: while I'm okay with my looks (not much I can do about them anyway) I'm not happy with my financial situation. In fact I'm downright depressed about it. Oh well, there are always exceptions aren't there. So what else? Well as brief as I can make it, here are some of the other results: French Canadians are 7% happier than English Canadians Stay-at-home women are 5% happier than those who work outside the home Those who have children are only 2% happier than those who don't 40% of the unhappy Canadians have a household income of under $40,000 (I can relate to that one so why am I still smiling?) 52% of Canadians are happy in their jobs. That's good I suppose but it also means 48% aren't happy. That's a lot of unhappy, disgruntled and dissatisfied workers out there and maybe that explains why Almost one in four Canadians polled called in sick at least once in the past year when they weren't sick And here's an odd one: The religious are more likely to be unhappy with their tax bill than atheists. That's one I don't understand. Can anyone figure out why that would be so? Oh, maybe it's because some, e.g. Catholics, have to support Catholic schools... There's more: 63% of us are somewhat or very satisfied with the health care we received last year. Well I'm a YES on that one. For those of us in Ontario, I think we're super lucky to have OHIP for starters. Then when my mom was dying of cancer last year, I had nothing but praise for the doctors and nurses who attended to her all the while she was undergoing treatment and in her final hours. And what about our sex lives? ( I don't have one except in my memories and dreams...oops!) Well anyway... while we're not obsessed with sex, a whopping 88% said they were happy in their sexual relationships. That's pretty good don't you think? But that said, 25% of those with an unsatisfying sex life are unhappy versus just 10% of those who have a good sex life. A interesting addendum to the sex issue is the difference between males and females: when it comes to activities we enjoy, sex was the first choice for 22% of males but only 8% of females agreed. What did the women enjoy more? A few hours alone! Are we women trying to multi-task too much? For me, that's a resounding YES! I found it somewhat sad that children didn't bring as much joy to our lives as they should and that only 9% of parents would rather spend an afternoon with their kids while 12% preferred enjoying their favourite sport, 15% preferred sex and 17% wanted time to themselves. In fact, one person said "if I could do it all again, I'd have fewer kids". Thankfully, for the vast majority of Canadians, children and family remain a source of joy and comfort. That said, I can't help but wonder if it'd be different in a world where earning money, having material possessions, owning bigger homes, better cars, having all the latest appliances, cell-phones, I-pods and not being glued to the computer would change that outlook. Are we simply too busy making money, and hence too tired later to enjoy the simpler and more important things in life, like our children? Theres' a ton more in this article/poll by Macleans than can be included here but I thought DJ'ers might be interested in these stats. If nothing else, as we celebrate Canada Day, would you say you are, for the most part, a Happy Canadian? I am. Happy Canada Day everyone! Even the weather is co-operating this weekend, at least here in Ontario.