A new report published in BMJ adds evidence to the sentiment that being happier can lead to a longer and healthier life.
The study, led by researcher Andrew Steptoe at University College of London, looked at the link between enjoyment of life and mortality. The study followed 9,365 men and women over the age of 50 in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging from 2002 to 2013. Participants were asked questions to assess their happiness three times in the 11-year span, such as “I enjoy the things I do” or “On balance, I look back on my life with a sense of happiness.”
According to TIME, “Nearly seven years after their last answers, people who reported more enjoyment (or the highest satisfaction scores on all three occasions) were 24% less likely to have died than people who reported no enjoyment. Those who said they were happy on two of the occasions had a 17% lower mortality.”
Read more at TIME.
Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com