What factors create lifelong happiness?

Ask 100 people, and you’re likely to get 100 different responses. Many value health; most want financial security; others need things like freedom or even power to be truly happy.

But several studies cited in this Ladders.com article point to an even more influential component of lifelong joy: strong, meaningful relationships. Here’s a brief overview of what the research presented shows:

• Harvard’s Grant and Glueck study, which has tracked the health and happiness of two groups (456 poor people in Boston, and 268 Harvard graduates) for over 75 years, concludes that good relationships keep people happier and healthier. Period. Specifically, the study demonstrates that having someone to love and rely upon: helps your nervous system relax; helps promote long-term brain health; and reduces both physical and emotional pain.
• A meta-analysis of nearly 150 studies concluded that the influence of social relationships on risk for mortality is comparable with well-established risk factors like smoking – and even more influential than other risk factors like obesity. Overall, the analysis showed a 50% increased likelihood for survival among individuals with stronger social relationships.
• This Sciencemag.org article points to multiple studies that provide strong empirical evidence for a causal impact of social relationships on health. Like the meta-analysis above, this article states that social relationships – or the lack thereof – have as big an effect on long-term health as smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity and physical activity.

The lessons here? If you want lifelong happiness, surround yourself with people who love and support you – and whom you love and support and return. At the end of the day, deep, transformational relationships are the secret to a lifetime of joy.

Want to make your organization a happier place to work?

Start by reading these earlier posts:

Happy People Have These Habits

Maximize Your Happiness by Avoiding These Pitfalls

Then, make sure you’re working with the right staffing partner. As a national employment agency, Exact Staff can design intelligent staffing solutions that allow you to:

• improve focus and effectiveness;
• alleviate overwork and burnout;
• build a high-performing team of positive people.

Ready to get happy and find the next step in your career?

Contact your local Exact Staff office today.