More than half of Singaporeans choose wellness over a successful career

Though Singapore is one of the most competitive economies in the world, Singaporeans are placing greater emphasis on happiness and health, instead of material possessions and career aspirations.

Among 1,024 Singaporeans surveyed in the UNIQLO-Singapore Life Study, 55% choose wellness and happiness over other life choices such as a successful career, pursuit of passion and competing to stay relevant in a rapidly changing environment.

Additionally, 7 in 10 also choose to take opportunities as they come as opposed to actively seeking ways to advance their career.

That said, the perfect work-life formula remains elusive to many Singaporeans across generations.

Managing both their personal and professional lives remains a struggle for 2 in 5 of the Singaporeans surveyed.

Though 70% of the respondents believe that Singapore is heading in the right direction for the future, 2 out of 5 expressed that the country is not the right place to fulfil their ambitions. In particular, the Generation X is the most sceptical of the future of Singapore, with 66% of them naming less stressful environment as among the top three changes in Singapore to improve the quality of life.

The survey also revealed a growing young-old divide within today's multi-generational workforce.

Older Singaporeans are more pessimistic when sharing their views of the younger generation, with the latter deemed to have a lower desire to succeed and the ability to work hard. This contradicts the sentiments of young Singaporeans surveyed who expressed high confidence in their ability to improve their life in the next 5 to 10 years.

The tabulated survey results also reveal the five things Singaporeans value the most as they prepare to enter a new decade:

1. Family – Happiness of the family indicates a life well-lived to the survey respondents across age groups. 8 in 10 Singaporeans also expressed satisfaction towards their family relationship.

2. Health and fitness – Singaporeans are increasingly keeping themselves healthy and fit, which corresponds with the year-on-year increase of sports participation rates by Sports Singapore. Affordable healthcare was also indicated as the top change to improve the quality of life.

3. Travel around the world – Experiences such as travelling outweigh material wealth for Singaporeans surveyed. It is also perceived to be a preferred way to unwind.

4. Religious fulfilment – Religion is indicated to be intertwined with many aspects of life to a majority of Singaporeans.

5. Cash – While cash remains more important among other traditional 5Cs, especially among the Generation Z, other factors have replaced them in Singaporeans' pursuit of a well-lived life.