What’s the secret to everlasting happiness?
We all want to be happy in life, right? In fact, the quest for everlasting happiness is perhaps much older than we can ever imagine. When we were children, most of us might have read the story of a king who ordered his ministers to find the happiest person in his kingdom. Because the king was advised by someone that he would be the happiest man if he wears the shirt of the happy man. After a long search, his ministers found a man who fits the bill. He was dragged to the king’s court and when the king ordered the man to hand over his shirt, the happy man just smiled and said, “I have no shirt.” He was a very poor man who could not afford a shirt. Yet, he was the happiest! This story shows us how people’s definition of happiness differs. For some money is the key to their happiness, for others it’s health. So, has anyone found the road that leads to everlasting happiness?
02/5A Harvard study finds the answer
It seems an 80-year-long Harvard study might have unearthed the secret to everlasting happiness. The study that started in 1938 examined the response of over 250 participants and made an interesting observation. As per the study, it’s not money, wealth or beauty that can keep a person happy forever. The key to our everlasting happiness lies in our relationship and the bond we share with our near and dear ones has a strong and everlasting influence on our health and happiness.
03/5It also affects our mental health
The relationship we share with close people is not only imperative in keeping us happy, it also plays a crucial role in our mental health. As per the study, a person has lower levels of stress and anxiety when he or she has someone to rely on during bad and good times.
04/5Marriage plays an important role too
Although this might not be one of the key findings of the study, but the researchers also touched upon the subject of marriage and happiness. As per the study, couples who enjoy a happy and secure married life tend to lead a more satisfied and happier life than those whose marriage is full of struggles. But we don’t need a study to prove that, right?
05/5Tending to your relationships is a form of self-care
“The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health. Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation,” said Robert Waldinger, director of the study, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
