Most people assume getting older means getting less happy. Maybe you’ve thought it too. But the research shows otherwise. In this episode of Office Hours, I’ll show you how your later years can be some of the happiest of your life and how to make that happen.
I’ll take you inside the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the world’s longest scientific study of happiness. I’ll explain why well-being follows a U-shaped curve and why, after midlife, your trajectory depends on the “investments” you’ve made.
I’ll also share the seven habits you can start practicing today to build your own happiness portfolio so you can enjoy more satisfaction, purpose, and joy in the years to come.
In this episode, I cover:
• The biggest misconception people have about their happiness after 50
• Why life satisfaction bottoms out in midlife, then rebounds stronger than before
• The one bad habit most strongly linked to marriage dissolution
• How learning to handle life’s inevitable setbacks pays off in your future well-being
• A case for expanding your mind, reading widely, questioning assumptions, and exploring unfamiliar ideas
• Why love is the strongest predictor of happiness in old age, and why one truly close connection can matter more than many casual ones
• Listener questions on happiness and age, if happiness is relative, and how to make the most out of a long commute
We’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at officehours@arthurbrooks.com. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening!
Referenced:
• Leadership and Happiness course
• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life
• The Harvard Study of Adult Development
• Good genes are nice, but joy is better
• The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness
• Medical Consequences of Alcohol Abuse
• Moving more, ageing happy: findings from six low- and middle-income countries
• Values of lifelong learners and their pursuits of happiness and whole-person wellness
• Lifelong Learning Is Good for Your Health, Your Wallet, and Your Social Life
• The Type of Love That Makes People Happiest
• A survey method for characterizing daily life experience: the day reconstruction method
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