America's forests and its farms are where you find the nation's happiest, least stressful, most meaningful jobs

(Graph by The Washington Post, data from Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Naturalist and ecological thinker John Muir wrote, “The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.” A new analysis agrees: "Envy the lumberjacks, for they perform the happiest, most meaningful work on earth. Or at least they think they do. Farmers, too," writes Andrew Van Dam of The Washington Post. "Agriculture, logging and forestry have the highest levels of self-reported happiness — and lowest levels of self-reported stress — of any major industry category, according to our analysis of thousands of time journals from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey."

Why would bonding with trees create joy? Van Dam explains: "Researchers across the social and medical sciences have found a strong link between mental health and green space or being outdoors. Even seeing a tree out your window can help you recover from illness faster. So imagine the boost you get from being right next to said tree — even if, like our friend the lumberjack, you’re in the process of chopping it down."

The Post's analysis compares being at work with being in nature: "We found that while your workplace looms as the single most stressful place in the universe," Van Dam writes. "The great outdoors ranks in the top three for both happiness and meaning — only your place of worship consistently rates higher."

Leslie Boby, whose work supports forest-focused outreach across 13 Southern states, told Van Dam that a forester's sense of fulfillment comes from more than being outside: "There’s a point where you are now planting trees that you are not going to see harvested. It speaks to something larger than yourself. … Your work is living on, and someone else will benefit from your efforts in a tangible way.”