What is the key to a decent life according to science?

If you were asked what is the secret to being happy in life, what would your answer be? Someone says that happiness You can’t buy it and there are those who prefer to say that money may not be the key to a happy life, but it does give you a chance to buy whatever makes you happy throughout your life. For others, all this questioning runs through a much deeper spiritual and religious matter.

But what does the longest study of human happiness in history say? Since 1939, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has investigated what makes people consider themselves happy, and they’ve come to a very profound conclusion: The secret to having a good life depends on good relationships. See what the science says!

The secret of human happiness

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Created by Harvard University, this study began with 724 participants – boys from disadvantaged and troubled families in Boston, as well as a few Harvard students. Then, the research began to incorporate the participants’ wives and, more recently, more than 1,300 offspring of the first group.

The researchers periodically interviewed the participants, using questionnaires to collect information about them Health physically and mentally. This is the longest in-depth longitudinal study ever conducted of human life. After decades of testing, researchers have come to the conclusion that having good relationships in your life leads to health and happiness.

The study also indicates that people don’t always put relationships first in their lives. For example, Americans, in a 2018 study, were shown to spend at least 11 hours of their day on solitary activities, such as watching TV. Therefore, thinking about these numbers can help put some aspects of our lives into perspective.

The importance of good relationships

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Just as we need exercises To be in good physical shape, having healthy relationships is a kind of physical conditioning for your social and emotional well-being. Being in the company of good friends and family helps relieve the stress of modern life. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves if the connections we develop throughout our lives have helped us thrive.

According to Harvard researchers, asking about such relevant aspects of life can be very complex, but it helps in our understanding of ourselves and the significance of life. Looking in the mirror and wondering where your life is going is the first step in trying to live a good life.

The study indicates that, in general, loneliness has a very unpleasant physical effect on our bodies. Lonely people become more sensitive to pain, experience suppressed immune systems, reduced brain function and sleep problems – all of which make them more tired and irritable.

No matter what culture you grew up in, socializing is never too much and can help you recharge — especially if we’re talking about connecting with someone you love and a relationship with deep feelings. If your schedule is keeping you from enjoying time with the people you love, it’s time to reconsider your life path.