On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you?

[ChittyBangabang]

1= miserable, nothing to be happy about

5= ok. Life could be better but I'm middling along.

10= ecstatic. Every aspect of life is wonderful and deeply fulfilling

I'd say I'm a 4. I'm coasting along but there is a sadness around living a half life.

What about you?

Generally a 4, maybe a 5 on a good day. Occasionally a 6 but these are rare.

Around 6 - 7 here - supportive DH and lovely DC, and we're all healthy. Lots of positives in my life and I love living in the country and having nature all around. My DC are autistic though and struggle with school and going out in general sometimes, so life is sometimes smaller than I'd like

1. Would be higher, but my fucking knee hurts and it's pissing me off today 😂

Im about a 9 and three quarters. Amazing relationship, two healthy children, no immediate money worries and a job that fulfills me.

1. Chronic pain and undiagnosed health issues. Recurrent viral meningitis ( 2009, 2014, 2020) which has left me broken and the doctors can't tell me why I keep getting it, and dismiss everything as 'anxiety'. No trust in the NHS anymore. Am a shadow of who I used to be. Unable to work, was a nurse before the latest episode in 2020. Medicated on antidepressants that do absolutely nothing other than numb me. Probably undiagnosed autism or adhd too but the doctors keep saying unhelpful things like how would a diagnosis change things and it's 'just a label'.

Everyday is the same and feel so behind my peers ; no flourishing career, broke and single at 37. Relationship with family is dysfunctional. I am one of four and we lost our older sister to suicide when we were teenagers. Instead of bringing us closer together it has destroyed the family and our parents basically gave up on themselves since her death. When I visit them the house feels sad and 'heavy'.

I have a beautiful DS though from my previous relationship and I don't know what I would do without him. I feel so blessed to have him. He is the reason I am still here. I am also thankful to have a roof over my head ( even if I am stuck in the rental trap) and food on the table. When I feel hopeless I try to remind myself there is always someone worse off. It's hard though.

Gosh that all sounds so self-pitying, but OP asked and just being honest. If you are blessed with good health, supportive family and a loving, secure relationship you are more equipped to deal with anything life throws at you, as even 'happy' people will have unexpected trials and tribulations. It's the foundations that are important to how you are able to deal with life and it's twists and turns. Some of us sadly don't have the solid foundation of a happy childhood, a loving spouse, good health etc. , so everything just feels that much harder.

To anyone struggling and unhappy with 'low scores' don't feel ashamed or guilty for not loving life. We are doing the best we can and hopefully one day we will find our happiness.

10 today, another day will be different. I have done so so much therapy following a difficult upbringing to get to this place but like everyone I have my ups and downs and I have the effects of PTSD which come on less and less now but it is something I suspect I will be managing into the future. I have to extremely carefully manage my energy levels and I have developed a very low tolerance for draining people and draining situations now but overall I am the happiest I have ever been in my life which is saying something.

8
In my 60s, good health, semi retired, comfortable, great dh. I feel happier having culled people from my life and I put myself first all the time....yes above my dcs.

Zero

5 - been a rough 6 months, living in a house I HATE and cannot see a way out of it, middle son has a new thing of waking up at 5am, money could be better. On the other hand my crohns remains in remission, we’ve got a holiday booked for September, kids are all happy, work whilst a bit boring is easygoing. Not all good but definitely not all bad either.

This is the same for me and I actually expected more people would say the same. Im really shocked at all the 8/9s and im thinking now im obviously much unhappier than I thought

At this moment, 10. Sat in beautiful surroundings in the sun in Spain with my husband having lunch with a large glass of wine.

Next week when we head home I'll probably be a 7, climbing up to an 8.5 when I've got over the disappointment of going home!

I can't really see the point of trying to assign a value from 1 (or 0) to 10 to 'how happy you are', because, well, what does it mean? I'm happy because I have my health, someone who loves me, I feel I have at long last learned how to be content, etc. So I might, I suppose, say 9 or 10. I have a friend who would probably say 3 although, to my eyes, she is pretty much like me in the ways I just listed.

Until a year and a half ago, 9. A loving husband and child, job that was stressful but enjoyable, no major money worries and the slimmest and fittest I've ever been. Always had depression but medicated and completely under control.

Now I am a 1 most of the time. Had a breakdown (probably due to peri menopause). Admitted to hospital twice as suicidal. Spent last 18 months trying to recover but keep slipping back. Had to give up my job. On so many drugs now, put on 3 stone not through overeating but because of one of them. Terrified that this is my life now - completely debilitating anxiety. I'm only still here because having a parent take their own life is something my child would never get over.

11 (Spinal Tap fan).

9 verging on 10

Why not 0 to 100 or 1000? then we could insanely grade our emotional wellbeing. I was 985 but it dropped to 976 because the tap was dripping too loudly. It might go up to 993 when I crack open that bottle of La Gitana sherry in the fridge. It's just a 'how happy are you?' thread with a silly number option. Do we have to grade everything nowadays?

6.5. Cost of living crisis affecting my life a fair bit plus have to wait 7 years before state pension kicks in Nov 2030. I will still need to work going forward so I do worry about my mental and physical health even when the state pension commences I need to earn £400 pcm.

9 for us, life is going good just now, teens have either just graduated or passed another year at university and today we have booked our summer holiday.

the missing one is because dh is off long term sick from work after an accident resulting in a physical injury.

3 - health issues, difficulties at work, lovely DC but they constantly argue. Feel very ground down over the past 5 years through COVID, divorce and working. Would love to stop working to focus on me a bit but can't afford to.

9.5 tipping into a 10. I have a wonderful partner who makes me feel very happy. 3 beautiful children who I'm incredibly lucky to have. A gorgeous home that my partner pretty much built with his bare hands and we are all healthy. We've got a nice life and I genuinely would not change a single thing. I am a glass half full type that always looks for a positive so maybe that helps?

I don’t know so I asked Bard and ChatGBT. Taking the average of the two I am 7.2398143 recurring plus half a shelled walnut.

1. Chronic health issues for which there is no cure. And bloody long covid again.

6-7 crippling health anxiety, but lovely DC, overall good life. But I’m tired a lot. I just try to be grateful for what I have, I’m sure things will get better