“Happiness” is an intense and immediate state of joy, pleasure, or euphoria, which makes us “feel good”. That is why, when we speak colloquially, we often use the terms happiness and well-being as if they were synonyms. But cerebrally, these concepts are different and have diverse implications for our health and quality of life. Understanding the distinction between happiness and well-being is not only interesting from an academic point of view, but it is also essential for promoting sustainable emotional balance and lasting mental health.

Taking a trip to a paradise island. Buying a house. Curing an illness. Having time for family and friends. Winning the lottery. Getting promoted at work. Playing a football match on Sundays. Having children. Sitting on a terrace in the sun. These are all real answers to a question as intimate as it is complex, which thinkers and philosophers, political and religious leaders, sociologists and psychologists –and perhaps those reading these lines– have tried to address throughout their lives: What makes us happy?

Catalan household income has been stagnant for a quarter of a century. From 2000 to 2024, the income available to citizens for consumption and investment grew by 0.1%, in contrast to the Catalan economy's 48.7% growth over the same period, according to a study by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. This stagnation would improve with an increase in the quantity and quality of public services received by families (healthcare, education, long-term care), but this improvement is completely eroded in practical terms by rising housing costs.

Nowadays we hear a lot about strength training to improve our physical health and to delay aging. But many times, when these words are spoken to us, we are not very clear what they are referring to, nor do we know how to put it into practice.

European cities could avoid 114,000 premature deaths each year if they complied with the new air quality recommendations presented by the World Health by the World Health Organization (WHO) in September 2021. A study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has compared the impact of the new recommendations with those in force since 2005 and which, according to previous studies, already prevented up to 51,000 deaths per year in European cities if they were complied with.