What can you do today to harvest the fruits of happiness tomorrow?
One of the longest studies conducted with human beings, to understand what keeps people healthy and happy throughout their lives, led by the famous psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, has already given us part of the answer that answer. This study, developed at Harvard Medical School, focused on adult development, followed the lives of 724 American men and in some of them over practically 80 years, having verified that it was not the physical health condition that made their lives longer. It was also not the economic ability that made her happier. They found out that loneliness and depression can kill, probably as much as tobacco and alcohol, and that having bad relationships with partners and others is just as damaging as not having them.
On the other hand, they confirmed that happiness increases the average life expectancy. In this context, Aristotle tells us, in his book “Nicomachean Ethics”, that happiness is like the supreme good that can be obtained through human action. And what human action can we take to become elderly people with longer and happier lives?
We are wise beings and we are relationship beings. We are human and our happiness depends a lot on the relationships we establish throughout life. Creating and establishing good relationships with the people around us are excellent predictors of a long and happy life. This was concluded in the investigation led by Robert Waldinger. Despite all the data that this study has generated, this is one of the most robust and, perhaps, the most outstanding finding of this long investigation.
Portugal, like most European countries, has a high rate of depression in the elderly. Therefore, we have elderly people who are increasingly lonely and increasingly isolated. If we want to counter this trend, an excellent strategy to preserve our mental health and enrich our happiness in life is to create and maintain good relationships throughout life.
Therefore, the recipe is simple. In the good and busy race of life, try to establish good relationships with your family, with your friends and other people you come across ... and preserve those relationships! They will help to preserve your health and will certainly be a prelude to a long, healthier (at least mentally) and happy life.
Focus on skills. Older adults who focus on what they can do, and find it rewarding (rather than a decline in skills), are happier.
Be active - active involvement in life through physical, mental and social activities is a key component of successful aging and life satisfaction.
Accentuate the positive - as people get older, they become better at regulating their emotions and facing experiences and challenges with a positive attitude, according to the Stanford Centre on Longevity Study. In memory tests, older adults recalled more positive images than negative images, in comparison to younger adults. When seeing pictures of people smiling or frowning, older adults also remembered smiling faces more quickly.
Volunteering to feel good. Feeling valued or necessary increases well-being.
Learn every day. Continuous and lifelong learning increases life satisfaction and the happiness of seniors, improving their physical and mental health.
Take care of your appearance - just because you're getting older doesn't mean you can't do it in style.
Laugh a lot. Laughter acts against stress, stabilizing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure. It also decreases aggression and helps to de-dramatize situations. After all, no wonder that laughing is the best remedy.
