If someone asked you for the secret to a happy and long life, what would your answer be? Would your answer involve money, fame, or even career accomplishments? Does family pay a role in a person living a happy and long life? Is there a way to get an answer that is based on real data? We came across a study that provides some insight into this matter.
Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This study is one of the longest and most comprehensive studies on adult life ever performed. It followed white men for 75 years starting in 1938. These men were either Harvard students or inner city youth. Every few years researchers would survey the men about their lives and also monitor their physical health.
Waldinger shared some of the findings in a presentation in Boston (you can watch the presentation in the video above). He stated that good close relationships keep us happier and healthier.
So perhaps we should visit family members or friends more often and build quality relationships. By investing into these relationships, it may lead to a happier and healthier life!
