Hello and good morning, afternoon, and evening wherever you are...
Every year on March 20, the world marks International Day of Happiness.
Established by the United Nations in 2012, the day recognises something simple but often overlooked. Happiness and well-being are not luxuries. They are fundamental human goals.
The 2026 theme is “Caring and Sharing.”
Which sounds right. But it also makes you wonder how much of that we actually see in practice.
A reminder that happiness rarely happens in isolation. It grows through empathy, connection, and the willingness to support one another.
As someone who spends a lot of time working with leadership teams, I often notice how attention shapes culture. What leaders focus on becomes what teams talk about. What teams talk about becomes what organisations amplify.
Which makes this question particularly interesting.
What happens when algorithms start shaping what we pay attention to?
This year we will explore that question together.A Conversation Worth Having
International Day of Happiness
Live Panel Conversation
Social media algorithms are attention engines. They amplify whatever we interact with most.
Human beings are wired to notice danger, conflict, and drama. It helped us survive thousands of years ago. On modern platforms it often means negativity travels faster than kindness.
Which raises an uncomfortable question.
Is social media helping happiness grow, or quietly pulling us in the opposite direction?
Join us on March 20 for a live conversation exploring exactly that.
Join the event
Facebook Live
https://fb.me/e/3WicmeWPe
Meet the Panel
Héðinn Sveinbjörnsson
Systemic Team Coach and Iceland’s Chief Happiness Officer, and founder of Handson Coaching. Héðinn works with executive and senior teams to strengthen collaboration and strategic alignment, exploring how workplace environments influence engagement, trust, and sustainable performance.
Skúli Bragi Geirdal
Head of Netvís.is, the Iceland Safer Internet Center within the Icelandic Media Commission. Netvís promotes digital safety, social sustainability, and media literacy, and works to implement the Digital Services Act in Iceland.
Linda Carlisle
Communications and Culture Advisor focused on building high-performance cultures grounded in trust and care. Linda also volunteers as a co-facilitator for the international happiness nonprofit Action for Happiness.
Patty Pick-Franke
Founder and Head Coach of Habitmasters, helping individuals and organisations develop healthy self-leadership and communication habits for success and happiness in business and life. Patty also facilitates Action for Happiness groups and a weekly Power of Eight Positive Intention group.
A Wider Global Conversation
Around the world, more people are exploring what happiness means in practice.
One initiative contributing to that conversation is the World Happiness Fellowship, a global community bringing together researchers, practitioners, and leaders working to build happier and more compassionate societies.
Their work reminds us that happiness is not only a personal experience. It is also something communities can design for.
Looking Ahead
International Week of Happiness at Work
This conversation is also part of the journey toward the International Week of Happiness at Work, where people from around the world come together to explore how leadership, culture, and the way we organise work influence well-being and performance.
But before October arrives, we start with a smaller question.
What kind of stories are we choosing to amplify?
Join the Conversation
If algorithms amplify what we pay attention to, the real question might be this.
What are we choosing to notice, and more importantly, what are we choosing to amplify?
March 20
International Day of Happiness
Facebook
https://fb.me/e/3WicmeWPe
Hedinn (Héðinn) Sveinbjörnsson
Iceland´s Chief Happiness Officer
International Week of Happiness at Work
Official Website: internationalweekofhappinessatwork.com
Save the Dates: September 21st – 25th, 2026
PS
This conversation is part of the growing global movement exploring what happiness means in practice.
If this topic interests you, keep an eye on the International Week of Happiness at Work later this year. A week dedicated to conversations about leadership, culture, and the conditions that allow people and organisations to truly thrive.
AM Healthcare Group is a Bronze partner of IWoHaW