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Hello, this is 6 Minute English
from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.
And I'm Georgie.
Now, you probably know the word
wellbeing – it's a general feeling
of health and happiness.
But have you ever heard
of flourishing?
It's an idea which Claudia Hammond
has been investigating
for BBC Radio 4 programme,
All in the Mind.
I wonder if you all feel
that you are flourishing in life.
This is another psychological
buzzword with added evidence.
Now, if you've not heard that term
before, it's not just about wellbeing –
it's about
your whole life being good.
Flourishing is
a psychological buzzword – a word
or phrase that has become fashionable
and is being used a lot,
especially on television
and in newspapers.
People who are flourishing feel good
about all aspects of their life,
including happiness, health,
relationships and financial security.
Do you feel
you're flourishing, Georgie?
Yeah, I think
I'm quite lucky, actually.
I really like my job.
I have a good family and friends.
Erm... yeah, everything's going well!
What about you, Phil?
I think the same.
I think I'm happy
and I've got everything I need.
Lovely.
In this episode, we'll hear
about the Global Flourishing Study –
a new survey into the lives of
over 200,000 people in 22 countries.
We'll learn some useful
new words and phrases,
and remember – you'll find
all this episode's vocabulary
on our website,
bbclearningenglish.com.
Yes, but first, Phil,
I have a question for you
about the Global Flourishing Study.
In terms of overall flourishing, which
country do you think came out on top?
Was it: a) Indonesia, b) Denmark,
or c) Brazil?
Ooh, I'm going
to guess b) Denmark, I think.
OK Phil. Well, we'll find out the
correct answer later in the programme.
Now the study investigated
six areas of life,
including health, finances,
social relationships and religion.
Let's listen as Claudia Hammond
discusses some of the findings
with psychologist Dr Peter Olusoga
for BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind.
What were the
most interesting nuggets there?
You've been diving into it.
Some of the, sort of, headlines were:
high-income countries –
so Sweden, the USA,
for example – scored higher
on some of the more material aspects
of flourishing,
so things like finance.
Middle-income countries – so Mexico,
for example – scored more highly
on things like meaning of relationships
and kindness and social cohesion.
Claudia asks about
the study's most interesting nuggets.
A nugget means a small piece
of something good,
like wisdom, or precious,
like a nugget of gold.
While richer countries scored higher
on material happiness,
middle-income countries did better in
terms of kindness and social connection.
There were interesting differences
between men and women.
For example, in Japan
women flourished more than men,
while in Brazil
the opposite was true.
And across all countries, flourishing
increased after the age of 50.
So, does flourishing depend
on your nationality,
or are there things anyone can do
to feel happier wherever they live?
Let's find out, as Claudia Hammond
talks more with Peter Olusoga
for BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind.
So, what can any of us do
to help ourselves to flourish?
That's the big question.
Well, there's a few things
that we can do,
and they are supported
by research as well.
So, things that are as simple
as just practising gratitude, right?
Being thankful for what we have
is a way of increasing the amount
of flourishing that we have
in our lives.
Showing kindness, which helps us to
develop connection with other people.
And just celebrating
our own accomplishments –
I think we've spoken on
the programme before about savouring.
Oh yeah, we have.
Yes, savouring those good moments.
Exactly. Just taking the time to really
appreciate some of those small wins.
Claudia asks the big question.
In other words, the thing everyone would
like to know – how do people flourish?
There are simple things anyone
can do, starting with gratitude –
feeling thankful
and appreciative for what you have.
Being kind and connecting with others
are also indicators of flourishing.
The study also recommends
savouring life.
To savour means to fully enjoy something
by experiencing it slowly and mindfully.
It involves taking time out
to enjoy good moments –
to stop and smell the roses,
as we say.
This links to the phrase small wins –
minor achievements or successes
which bring you a little closer
to your long-term goals in life.
There's an old saying – a journey
of a thousand miles
starts with a single step.
And savouring each small win along
the way is vital to flourishing.
Flourishing seems to be
a big new idea,
in some countries at least, which
reminds me of your question, Georgie.
Yes. Phil, I asked you,
in the Global Flourishing Study,
which country came out on top?
And the options were Indonesia,
Denmark or Brazil.
And I said Denmark.
...which Phil, I'm afraid that is
the wrong answer.
The correct answer is Indonesia.
OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've
learned, starting with buzzword –
a word or expression
on a certain topic
that has become fashionable
and much used.
A nugget is a small piece
of something good or precious,
such as a nugget of gold
or a nugget of wisdom.
The big question is the thing
everyone would like to know.
Gratitude means being thankful
for what you have.
If you savour something, you enjoy
something as much as possible
by experiencing it slowly.
And finally, small wins are
minor successes which contribute
to a larger life goal.
Once again, our six minutes are up,
but if you want ways to help
your English flourish,
try the quiz and worksheet
for this episode,
available now on our website,
bbclearningenglish.com.
Goodbye for now.
Goodbye!
Vocabulary
Word 1 of 14wellbeing
word
0:14
"a general feeling of health and happiness."
More Listening Practice
About this lesson
Find out what it means to truly flourish in life and how psychology helps us understand wellbeing in this 6 Minute English episode.