A new study published on November 1, 2018, in the journal Age and Ageing says being happy might add years to your life.
It is human to long for happiness whatever might be the potential source.
When was the last time you were happy? Was the happiness associated with material gains, goal achievement, or simply a smile on your loved one’s face?
Well, we may not always be happy but whenever we are, we should work to maximize its duration and intensity. Moreover, it appears that being happy more frequently is equally or even more critical to longevity compared to the intensity of happiness.
Happiness and Longevity: What Did the Researchers Find?
In the study, researchers from Singapore studied more than 4,000 adults aged 60 or above from 2009 to 2015. At the end of the study, they found that:
- Happy older people had a 19 percent reduced risk of death regardless of the cause compared to their unhappy counterparts.
- Each unit increase in ‘happiness score’ correlated with a 9 percent decrease in the risk of death regardless of the cause.
What Does the Study Result Mean to You and Your Loved Ones?
It goes without saying that happiness is the key to a healthy life. Interestingly, being healthy is directly related to your happiness. Therefore, health and happiness share a bidirectional relationship and one factor profoundly affects another.
While increased physical activity and other healthy lifestyle factors such as good nutrition, adequate sleep are well-known forces behind happiness, the following factors have been shown to make you happy more frequently.
- Expressing gratitude. Do it daily.
- Focus on the good things that have happened during the day.
- Identify and appreciate the good things in you. Do not run after the things that you do not have now (you could cultivate them later!). Instead, focus on your strengths of character, such as love, kindness, integrity, and creativity.