What’s the secret to living a longer, happier life? Everyone has their own opinion on how to add more happiness or longevity to their lives. However, a recent study may have just shed light on the real secret to living the longest and happiest life possible.
In 1938, Harvard University began a long-term study of adult development to determine what contributes to long-term health, happiness, and well-being throughout a lifetime. The study included 268 male undergraduate students at Harvard and 456 boys who grew up in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Boston. As time passed, they included the wives and children of the original participants. The results are summarized in the book by Robert Waldinger, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study on Happiness.
While there were differences between the two groups, one similarity kept emerging after years of interviews, medical record reviews, and other research. They found that strong relationships are the greatest predictor of long-term health.
“The people who were happiest, who stayed healthiest as they grew old, and who lived the longest were the people who had the warmest connections with other people.”
However, just having relationships is not enough to improve your health and happiness.
Quality matters, and each relationship we have plays a vital role.
Long-Term Romantic Relationships: Romantic partnerships that keep trust at the heart of the relationship may lead to a longer lifespan. The relationship does not need to be conflict-free, but it must involve reliability.
Family Relationships: When you have a strong connection with your parents, siblings, and children, you may experience better long-term health, as you have a better support system that can offset stress
Close Friendships: When you feel valued and seen in your friendships, you’re going to have more happiness in your life. You’ll have people you want to spend time with and talk to when things are looking down or up! Good friendships wither away from neglect. The author suggests that people think about ways to be active, even in small ways every day or week, to nurture those relationships and keep them alive.
“If you don’t have people to help you weather the inevitable stresses that come along, the body stays in a low-level fight-or-flight mode, with higher levels of circulating stress hormones and higher levels of inflammation, and we know that those things gradually wear away many different body systems.”
Research even shows that casual positive interactions with acquaintances or neighbors can improve your well-being.
The author also says that if you do not have anybody in your life right now, think about ways that you can be of service. If you’re doing something you care about or you enjoy and you’re with people who enjoy something similar, that’s a natural place to start conversations.
This study has been ongoing for over 85 years. The author says that he wants to leave people with the fact that, at least from their data, it is never too late for you.