The #1 Secret To Living Longer and Happier, According To A Harvard Study

The longest study on human happiness ever done has uncovered some surprising insights into what truly contributes to health and contentment throughout a lifetime. 

Dr Robert Waldinger is the head of the 80-year Harvard Study of Adult Development. Dr Waldinger is a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School and the author of the groundbreaking new book “The Good Life.” For more than 80 years, researchers like Bob have been following people’s lives as part of this study.

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The experiment tracked individuals from adolescence until old age, gathering information on their physical and mental health, jobs, relationships, and other factors. Here’s what he concluded. 

1. Relationships are Important for Health and Happiness 

The Harvard study’s most important finding is that strong relationships and social connections are critical for our well-being as we age. 

Having supportive and nurturing connections promotes one’s general health by acting as a buffer against life’s pressures. 

2. Don’t just let friendships happen to you; be proactive about it

More than 40% of adults report feeling lonely at least some of the time. Participants who actively built relationships over the course of their lives enjoyed the benefits. But they didn’t just sit back and watch things happen. 

They established plans with friends, reached out to others, and became members of community and social groups. 

3. Marriage has ups and downs, but it provides long-term support

According to the study, marital satisfaction is vital for long-term happiness, but it frequently follows a U-shaped curve over time. 

People are happiest when they initially get together, then satisfaction reduces when children arrive, rises when children leave home and falls again when adult children return to live at home.  

4. Take Good Care of Your Body in the Long Run 

According to the Harvard study, participants who exercised regularly and maintained their physical fitness throughout their lifetimes were more likely to thrive well into old age. One of the centenarians interviewed for the study said, “Take care of your body like you’re going to need it for 100 years.”

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