According to science, happiness occurs when chemicals like endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin are released.

Dr Saamdu Chetri, however, defines happiness as “living in harmony with nature, living in harmony and balance with others around you and being in touch with yourself and your own wisdom.”

Since 1971, the country of Bhutan has prioritised its citizen’s happiness over economic growth. In the last 20 years Bhutan has doubled life expectancy, enrolled almost 100% of its children in primary school and overhauled its infrastructure.

Bhutan citizens meditate once a day, conserve traditional values rather than accumulate materialistic things, care for their environment, remain carbon neutral, ensure 60% of their landmass remains under forest cover, protect their wildlife, care as much for their neighbours as they do for their immediate families and all educational facilities are green.

Gary Gorrow sits down with Dr Chetri and explore how happiness can create the conditions for social, economic, environmental, psychological and spiritual wellbeing.