This Happiness Study shows the secret to being happy.

It’s simple: love and you will be happy. Being considerate and connected to those you love – friends and family – is the secret to happiness. According to the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which is the longest-running happiness studies on the planet.

The continuous happiness study that started in 1938 with 724 men monitored participants’ lives to discover the “secrets” to a happy and healthy life. The original group was all men. Only 60 of the original group of men is still alive. Since then, the study has widened, adding 2,000 individuals, including women, and some of the original group’s offspring.

Good relationships keep a person healthier and happier.

Researchers conducted not only questionnaires and interviews, they also evaluated the medical reports, scans of their brains, and blood tests as well over time. The research also recorded the men talking about their most profound problems along with their wives. It also considered their career trajectories and followed the failures and successes in their lives.

Happiness Study: The Conclusions

The secret that makes people healthier and happier is all about the good relationships they have. Our social connections are closely associated with overall well-being, lower stress levels, and life span. You can have a successful career and a lot of money, but you need to be socially connected to have good health and a good life. So you need to be connected to your loved ones, friends, and the community.

The Study explained in a great video.

Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger is the director of the most extended happiness study in history. In a recent TED Talk, he evaluated the key findings from the historical study.

Recent research shows that the major life goal of millennials, which is more than 18%, is to get rich. And 15 percent responded that their life goal is to be famous.

Waldinger explains that individuals’ should be studied their entire lives to identify where or not accomplishing those goals matter toward happiness.

What Can We Learn from the Happiness Study?

The most vital lessons from the study have nothing to do with fame or wealth or working harder every day. The researchers’ obvious lesson from the more than eight-decade study is good relationships keep a person healthier and happier.

It seems that social connections are essential to human beings and that loneliness kills. Individuals who are more socially connected to their family, friends, and community are much happier. On top of that, they are physically better and live longer lives than those who are less well connected.

According to the study, lonely individuals are less happy individuals. Researchers notice an earlier decline in health in midlife on lonely people. Their brain function deteriorates sooner, and they live shorter lives. This study finds that over 1 in 5 Americans is lonely, a staggering 20% of the population.

To sum up, people often forget, as they are busy and take everything for granted. However, relationships are essential and need a lot of time and investment. To have a good job and wealth is a nice-to-have. But materialistic stuff does not define how happy you are.

Like to read more about Happiness? Read these other articles:

Instant Happiness in 5 easy, enjoyable ways!
How to Be Happy According to Buddha’s Wisdom.