Less is more for living good life
Report finds people want closer links to nature & are rejecting materialism
A sizeable proportion of adults in Ireland now link a good life with less materialism, a new survey has revealed.
In a move away from amassing a lifetime of commodities, many people say they want “less stuff ” and “more connection to others and nature”, according to the research.
It has been compiled by a group named Today Good Life 2030 Ireland as part of a project called New Good Life 2023.
A spokesperson claimed the research findings in its “first citizen vision report” demonstrate that people are reappraising the definition of “good life”.
The group yesterday claimed the report “uncovers insights into what Irish people believe a ‘good life’ looks like for them in the year 2030”.
It said that the research invited people to describe their values and articulate their vision for a “good life”.
Project lead Laura Costello of the Good Life 2030 Ireland said: “It is about a move from hustleculture and precarious living to a slower, more self-sufficient lifestyle.
“People want more time in nature and with those we care about.
“Ireland’s citizens’ appraisal of what a good life looks like is shifting away from the consumerist ‘more, more, more,’ materialist, emissions-heavy culture to a more attainable, connected future.”
Amongst the findings, 55% of adults feel the greatest sense of well-being and contentment when spending quality time with “people I care about”.
One-in-four people (26%) said they “feel best when outdoors, enjoying nature’.
One in three (29%) reported feeling the greatest sense of well-being and contentment when they’re “taking time for myself ”.
Nearly half (42%) of adults claimed that they “don’t have the time or motivation to think beyond today or redirect my life”.
Some 24% of respondents said they do not have the “opportunity to create change”.
Citizens were least likely to say that their greatest sense of wellbeing or contentment came from “being spontaneous” (5%), or “busy all the time” (5%) or “working and developing my career” (6%).
Almost half of all survey participants (43%) said after the project that they intended to make changes in their life.
A spokesperson claimed: “Our interviews showing that for 2030, citizens dream of being more connected to others.
“They to build more connected communities, strengthen cultural cohesion and enhance the well-being of those around them.
“Two in five adults (37%) feel the greatest sense of well-being and contentment when they are being ‘active, fit and healthy.’
“Citizens see a direct relationship between their own health and the health of the natural environment.
“One in four (26%) feel best when ‘I am outdoors enjoying nature’.
“Respondents want to be more deeply connected to nature, to see nature flourish, to help protect and conserve the natural world and to be more embedded in the outdoors.
“One in three Irish citizens (29%) report feeling the greatest sense of well-being and contentment when they’re ‘taking time for myself.’
“Citizens articulated how, by 2030, they would like to be more connected to themselves, to move away from hustle culture and embrace a slower pace of life, with less precarity and greater opportunities for self-sufficiency.
“The biggest barrier for citizens in consistently living their idea of a ‘good life’ today is not having enough time or energy.
“Nearly half, 42%, of adults claim that they ‘don’t have the time or motivation to think beyond today or redirect my life.’
“The second-biggest challenge is opportunity and external influences – with 24% of respondents feeling like they don’t have the ‘opportunity to create change’.”
The Good Life 2030 Ireland project is supported by environmental advertising group Purpose Disruptors and environmental marketing company Thinkhouse. It is funded by Creative Ireland as part of the Creative Climate Action Fund.
■ The full report is available at goodlife2030.earth/toolsresources.
People want more time in nature with those we care about LAURA COSTELLO PROJECT LEAD OF REPORT