What is it that you feel you need in order to live the good life? Is it money, a good career, being able to enjoy creature comforts? What is it that keeps us happy throughout our lives?
A recent longitudinal study provides us with key insights into what matters most when it comes to happiness. The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest study of adult development that’s ever been done. The study involved tracking the lives of 75 men, asking them detailed questions about their health, work, family and their home lives. The participants in the study were a group of two men; the first, a group of Harvard graduates, and the second a group of men from Boston’s poorest suburbs.
The key findings of the study were:
- Forget about wealth, fame and success – it’s good relationships that keep people happier and healthier
- People with good social connections with family, friends and community are happier, healthier and live longer.
- People who are more isolated than they want to be are less happy, have more declining health, their brain functioning declines sooner and they live shorter lives.
- It’s not the number of friends that you have, it’s the quality of your close relationships that counts!
- High conflict relationships can be bad for our health!
- Positive relationships can serve as a buffer against declining health as we age
- With age, being in a secure relationship where we can count on the other person, can be protective for our brains (participants in their 80s in secure relationships had sharper memories than those who weren’t!!)
The study’s director, Robert Waldinger, concludes that “the good life begins with good relationships.”
This study is another reminder that for all the demands life places on us, positive relationships are worth prioritising over all!! Do you nurture your relationships? What can you do to feel more connected to family, friend or your community?
