In 2006 we are more aware of the world around us than we've ever been. News is everywhere. There is no escape from hearing about happenings with 24 hour rolling news programmes, especially when a big story breaks. When it's happening close by, the interest is heightened. The proximity of crime has knock on effects. Insurance premiums rise. The amount of CCTV increases and people seek safer environments for their children. Mood MapBut do these events affect us? Do our emotions register the daily diet of bad news; or have we become numb by what we hear, see and read? BBC Nottingham Mood Map aims to find out. Using a series of simple questions devised by Dr Vic Gilgeous, a speaker in the field of happiness and personal change at the University of Nottingham, we're going to investigate, using a bank of 100 people all living in Nottinghamshire. Survey - statementsOver next few months we'll bring you the results of the Mood Map survey. But here you can have a go too. Firstly, the following eight statements must be ranked as: Strongly agree - 5 points; Agree - 4; Neither agree nor disagree - 3; Disagree - 2; Strongly disagree - 1. - I am proud of where I live.
- I appreciate the people in my life.
- I laugh a lot.
- I feel safe when I go out.
- I think the world is a good place.
- I am looking forward to the future.
- I have few regrets about my life.
- I am comfortable with myself and the way things are.
Once you have ranked all of the statements you need to add up the numbers. Your total score should then be a measure of your mood. Survey - results- 33 – 40 = Very happy with where you live, the people you know, the quality of your life, and how you feel about yourself and the world you live in.
- 25 – 32 = Fairly positive attitudes, perceptions and relations with people and things around you.
- 17 - 24 = Not so pleased with life in general, in terms of your lifestyle and how you see your life going.
- 8 – 16 = Very unhappy in terms of how you see your life, others, your environment, and the world at large.
So, how happy are you at this moment in time? | 
