Around 93.8 per cent of professionals in the Mena region have a positive outlook on life, with 56 per cent being “very positive” and 37.8 per cent being “somewhat positive”, a report said.

Seven out of 10 professionals polled in the Mena consider themselves fulfilled in life, with 33.4 per cent feeling both professionally and personally fulfilled, added the ‘Personal Fulfillment in the Middle East and North Africa’ poll, recently conducted by Bayt.com, a leading career site in the Middle East.

Almost one third (29.2 per cent), however, do not feel fulfilled at all. Four out of 5 respondents believe that they are in control of their career and life, with 54.6 per cent believing that they control their career and life “to a great extent”.

Financial worries (29.5 per cent), lack of training and development opportunities (16.3 per cent) and feeling that their job is not suited to them (12.9 per cent) are the most prominent reasons keeping Mena respondents from feeling fulfilled. Other factors that prevent them from feeling fulfilled include a poor work environment (10 per cent), bad management (7.3 per cent) and a poor work-life balance (7.2 per cent).

About 32.6 per cent of those polled in the Mena said that a better work-life balance would cause them to feel more fulfilled overall. This is followed by better pay (16.8 per cent) and a better social life (13.2 per cent).

The majority of polled professionals (27.1 per cent) prefer to spend their free time reading. 41 per cent of those who prefer to read say that the activity enriches them both personally and professionally. For 9.7 per cent, reading is a form of entertainment, while 4.4 per cent feel that reading de-stresses them. On the other hand, 19.6 per cent prefer to spend their free time with family. 12.2 per cent spend their free time working more and 8.7 per cent spend it with friends or exercising (7.1 per cent).

The majority (97.2 per cent) of polled professionals consider themselves to be healthy, with 75 per cent believing themselves to be “very healthy”, while 22.2 per cent think of themselves as “moderately healthy”.

Still, 70.8 per cent of polled professionals in the Mena say that they experience stress on a daily basis, with 28.8 per cent feeling “very stressed” and 42 per cent feeling “somewhat stressed”. 29.2 per cent of polled professionals experience no stress at all.

More than seven out of 10 (71.8 per cent) Mena respondents travel for recreation, with 40.3 per cent travelling once a year and 13.2 per cent travelling at least four times a year. 28.2 per cent of those polled do not travel for recreational purposes at all.

Nearly 84.8 per cent of those who travel find the activity relaxing, with 62 per cent saying that it relaxes them to a great extent and puts them in a better mood. 4.6 per cent of those polled, however, admit that travelling stresses them out.

Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com said: “Feeling fulfilled in the working environment has a considerable impact on the entire lives of employees.”

“The poll results show that their professional life plays a great roll in reasons that keep them from being fulfilled. Happiness is subjective, and professionals in the Mena really have to take care of their mental, physical and environmental well-being.

“Continuous learning, exercising regularly and properly managing time will really help Mena professionals in this regard. In line with our mission at Bayt.com to empower people to live their lifestyle of choice, we have several tools available for professionals to increase their knowledge, and they are fun and easy to use, such as Bayt.com Courses. Employers in the region also have to keep abreast of trends and elevate support and engagement levels of their staff to ensure improved performance and employee retention,” he added.

For one-third of polled professionals, happiness is encompassed primarily in mental health and happiness (23.8 per cent), followed by having great relationships with people (7.9 per cent), experiencing career success and professional recognition (12.2 per cent), having the freedom to do what they love (12.8 per cent), financial security and wealth (3.3 per cent), and prestige and social status (3.3 per cent). – TradeArabia News Service