Don’t retire early, buy a home, or be a lawyer if you want to be happy, researchers say — here’s why. From the author: ver a period of more than two years, I studied hundreds of academic studies, interviewed psychologists, sociologists, and happiness researchers about what brings a person joy. I even wrote a book, “Happiness Hacks,” to share my findings. Happiness is far from a simple concept. It can refer to a wide range of moods, emotions, sensations, and traits — each with benefits and drawbacks.
Here are some of the most interesting tips:
5.
Don’t be a lawyer
Maybe it’s all the lawyer jokes, but those who practice law have been found to be particularly unhappy. A 1990 study from John Hopkins University found that lawyers were 3.6 times more likely than non-lawyers to suffer from depression.
Researchers point to three main reasons as to why lawyers have a hard time finding happiness:
* Prudence is one of the main qualifications for lawyers, which can often translate to skepticism or pessimism.
* The high pressure put on and low influence given to young associates are the sort of work conditions that result in low morale in other workplaces.
* The work — at least in the U.S. — is often a zero-sum game where your win is someone else’s loss, creating a hyper-competitiveness that also drains one’s sense of workplace satisfaction.
A 2016 study conducted by the American Bar Association, concluded that attorneys “experience problematic drinking that is hazardous, harmful, or otherwise consistent with alcohol use disorders at a higher rate than other professional populations.”