A Harvard study that has been happening for over 80 years took on the challenge of trying to determine the factors that lead to a happy and healthy life.
Starting in 1938 during the great depression, 268 Harvard sophomores were tracked throughout their life. Using their medical records and conducting in-person interviews, data was gathered about their physical and mental health. Additional groups of people were also added to the study throughout the years.
What they found was that happiness and good health were closely related to a person’s satisfaction in their relationships with their family, friends and community. People that had great meaningful relationships lived longer and happier lives. This factor had a greater impact on a person’s long-term health and happiness than social class, IQ and genetics.
Friends or partners who can truly rely on each other protect each other from the lowest moments in life. Even the worst moments in life are made more bearable when there is someone who empathizes with you and does everything to pick you back up. So, there is no surprise that these types of close bonds help reduce the decline of mental and physical health significantly throughout our lives (especially later in life).
This means the opposite is also true. Those who feel more lonely tend to die much younger. They develop mental illnesses much earlier and age much quicker. “Loneliness kills. It’s as powerful as smoking or alcoholism” said Robert Waldinger, the director of the Harvard study.
No matter how busy our lives get with work, we need to make sure we do everything to make time for those who matter the most to us. Their care for us and our care for them impacts our happiness more than anything else.
Be there for your friends, family and your community (also be there for anyone else who might be going through a tough time because they might not have anyone else to go to).
“Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too” - Robert Waldinger
-Sal