What can we learn from the longest study of happiness, especially on world happiness day.
What do you think the biggest indicator of happiness and longevity is?
Wealth, material goods, or a great job don’t make the shortlist. In fact, extensive research tells us that the most significant indicator of happiness and longevity is simple:
Connection.
Today, the 20th of March 2024, is World Happiness Day, and the UN World Happiness Report is now in its 13th year. Australia has ranked 10th on the report this year, which shows we’re doing quite well in terms of our overall outlook - perhaps due to our love of the outdoors, community spirit, and work-life balance[1] - but we still have something more to learn from the world’s happiest countries.
So in celebration of World Happiness Day, and to highlight this year’s theme of connection and belonging, in this post, we’re going to outline some of the lessons from one of the longest-ever studies on happiness.
What’s the secret to a happier life?
According to the World Happiness Report, subjective wellbeing is measured in three key ways:
Life evaluations (where respondents evaluate their current life as a whole) - these are measured by the Gallup World Poll
Positive emotions (measured by the average yes or no answers about laughter, enjoyment, and interest)
Negative emotions (measured by the average of yes or no answers about worry, sadness, and anger)
Using the results, we can discern what, broadly speaking, leads to greater life satisfaction.
Although happiness studies were not considered a legitimate field of scientific research until about thirty years ago, today happiness studies are on the rise. Previously, it was assumed that because nations were getting richer, therefore happiness would increase. Of course, this isn’t what happened at all, and loneliness is actually on the rise.
Once a certain level of wealth is met, satisfaction stays the same… or even decreases.
Despite wealth not being a leading indicator of wellbeing, studies do prove that there are basic conditions humans need to thrive. Socio and economic factors simply make it easier for some people to focus on the elusive ideal of ‘happiness’ than others.
Without our foundations for wellbeing being met, our mental health is at a great disadvantage. We all require access to food, housing, healthcare, education, social support, and the freedom to make choices. Our potential for happiness also increases with the opportunity to be generous - whether it be with skills, money, time or effort - which is not a privilege everyone has.
The good news is that, after our basic needs are met, there are things we can do to foster thriving and satisfied lives; studies show that happiness is not something that happens to you: it’s something you curate.
Can we really learn to be happier?
Since 1928, Harvard scientists have been closely following the lives of over 700 individuals to help us answer that very question.
Known as the world’s longest study on happiness, the Harvard Grant Study is still going strong after 85 years. Two of the leading scientists now in charge of the study, Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz, have closely followed decades of research to discover what leads to a long and thriving life.
And the answer? Meaningful relationships.
In fact, at age 50, relationships were a better predictor of participant’s physical health at age 80 than their cholesterol![2]
So if you want to become happier, intentionally nurturing your social network is a good place to start.
Why is connection key to happiness?
Everyone has a different idea of happiness, so it’s hard to give a definitive answer on what it means to be happy, but there is certainly enough evidence to indicate a strong correlation between wellbeing, belonging and connection.
In Waldinger’s book, ‘The Good Life,’ he details the highlights from the 85 Harvard study on happiness. Across the generational study, he found the following:
'People who stayed the healthiest, lived the longest, and were the happiest, were the ones who were most connected to others'.
Those who lived longer and showed less cognitive and physical decline were those with rich social connections.
Waldinger explains that both quality and quantity of connections are important, with a rich social network requiring both close relationships and more casual ones across our community.
5 tips for curating happiness through your social connections
Build trust and foster belonging in your community
Studies show that casual small talk, little exchanges with those around us, and chatting with strangers can enhance our sense of belonging and build trust, even if we’ve moved somewhere new.
Similarly, previous World Happiness Reports have demonstrated that the happiest countries, such as Finland, had trust in their neighbours and wider society. In other words, to build resilient communities, we must first build trust.
People’s quality of life improves when they can reasonably assume the goodwill of others in their day-to-day lives[3] and healthy societies rely on trusting strangers. Unsurprisingly, there is a huge link between institutional trust and interpersonal trust,[4] with societal trust being linked to greater economic growth, charity, and tolerance.
Unless you’re a leader in your community, you might feel unable to build institutional trust. However, you can still build interpersonal trust by spending time with your community, be it at work, at community events, or the local cafe.
Studies also show that moving more and spending time in nature are very beneficial for our wellbeing, so taking part in community activities that get you outdoors can be a double happiness boost. This could include volunteer events such as cleaning up waterways and planting trees, or social activities such as running clubs or swimming groups.
Read more: How to talk to strangers - the mood-boosting power of small interactions
Intentionally nurture your close relationships
As you’d expect, close relationships remain a bedrock for our happiness, especially when we’re going through hard times.
Waldinger explains that we can deepen existing relationships by paying attention and being genuinely curious about what our loved ones have to say - and, yes, put the phone away.
‘Undivided attention is the most valuable thing we have to give each other.’[5]
In our busy lives, undivided attention can be difficult, so we have to be proactive in reaching out to past connections, livening up long-term ones, learning about our colleagues, and getting involved with our community.
Experiences provide a great source of connectedness, whether we enjoy them with our loved ones, with new people, or both. Money doesn’t bring us happiness, but experiencing life with those around us has a huge impact - whether it’s a family meal, trying a new hobby, or a weekend away somewhere new.
Read more: How to combat loneliness by prioritising your social biome.
Use social media intentionally.
Studies show that social media can be both beneficial and detrimental to our mental health, so it’s important to check in with yourself after ten minutes of scrolling to see if you’re feeling more or less energised than before.
Waldinger advises using technology to connect to real people, and not to further isolate you. Passively scrolling and consuming can lead to comparison, whereas actively connecting can raise wellbeing and energy levels.
Social media can also facilitate connections with people with similar interests, which can be great for building community.
On the other hand, it’s really important to drown out the negative noise when using social media, and not let it dictate how you start to see the world.
Social media has made us compare our rich internal lives to other people’s outside presence - rather than their realities, while advertisers seek to tell us that material goods are the secret to wellbeing - both giving us an incorrect view of what ‘happiness’ should look like.
Waldinger reminds us not to let society or social media define what a good life looks like for you - only you can define it.
Workplace connections - and why managers should care about happiness
For those in a leadership role, prioritising connection, collaboration and vulnerability among employees can make a huge difference to their enjoyment at work.
And happier employees will make a positive difference to the whole organisation, too. According to the latest research from the University of Warwick, happiness makes employees more productive. [6] Economists carried out several experiments to test the idea that happy employees work harder and discovered that happiness made people around 12% more productive.
Similarly, a Gallup Gallup study of 15,000,000 global workers showed that the 30% of participants who had a ‘best friend at work’ were better at engaging customers and producing higher quality at work.
Read more: Wellbeing at Work - the one simple thing that helps employees thrive.
You should treat yourself like a friend, too.
Optimism breeds optimism, and prioritising becoming a more positive person has a ripple effect on all those around you.
That’s not to say that becoming a shining example of positivity is an easy feat, but there are strategies we can learn to be more compassionate towards ourselves. For example, simply noticing when we’re having irrational thoughts can help reduce depressive symptoms.[7] The goal is to try and challenge our negative thinking, and see if we can view things from a more positive mindset.
On the other hand, hanging out with people who we know have a positive mindset is equally infectious. The more happy people we are surrounded by, the happier we’re likely to be in the future.[8] So if you find yourself drawn towards negative people, try to nurture new friendships with more optimistic people.
Read more: How to grow your social capital and the benefits of building community.
Summary: What we can learn from the longest study on happiness
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the longest study on happiness, it’s that meaningful relationships matter.
Connecting with others and knowing we are part of something greater than ourselves is integral for wellbeing, with research highlighting that lasting happiness often comes from connections of all kinds; from our close relationships to our involvement in our communities and even global efforts.
In turn, prioritising happiness has benefits for both ourselves and those around us, leading to better physical health outcomes, more trusting communities, and happier employees.
So to carry on the celebrations this World Happiness Day, why not reach out to one person within your community today?
Chat with the barista at your favourite coffee shop, offer to help a neighbour or colleague, or message a close friend to make plans and nurture your relationship. A simple gesture can make more people happy today than you realise.
[1] https://remote.com/resources/research/global-life-work-balance-index
[2] https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/
[3] https://theconversation.com/trusting-societies-are-overall-happier-a-happiness-expert-explains-why-177803
[4] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0237934
[5] https://www.events.unsw.edu.au/article/robert-waldinger-unlocking-secret-happiness
[6] https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_study_shows/
[7] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796715000790