Life Gets Better After Age 50 (Really!)
Titling this post “Life Gets Better After Age 50″ is not just an observation I made or an anecdote I heard- it’s the result of a recent study of global well-being and emotional states involving hundreds of thousands of Americans. The study confirmed that “people tend to be happier, less anxious, and less worried once they pass the half-century mark.” Results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
To get the data, researcher Arthur Stone of Stony Brook University enlisted the help of the Gallup Organization to create a survey that got responses from over 350,000 people throughout the U.S. He found that negative feelings, worry, anger, and stress decline with age and drop off after age 50. Men and women had similar profiles throughout the years. For a more in-depth read about the study, check out this article from ScienceNOW.
Reading about this study reminded me of a review I wrote recently on Barbara Strauch’s new book The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind. The book, like this study, provides examples of the positive side of aging and reasons to rejoice about growing older, wiser, and happier.
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Posted: Odds and Ends
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May 26th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
I agree with the premise that life is better after 50 – I’ll be 53 in a couple of days, and am happier with life than I’ve ever been. I worry less and enjoy more because, for one thing, I know I have less time on this earth! Why waste time by not enjoying life? Also, when you’re young, you worry more about what people think about you; age allows you to accept yourself and become less self-conscious.
May 27th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I am 82 years old. Anyone living now who is happier after 50 simply does not realize what is going on or doesn’t care what happens to the country and society.
June 7th, 2010 at 1:54 am
Dear Sir,
I am 78, retired and just wake up each day with the wonder of another whole day to learn, love friends, learn wonderful ideas and explore fields of study that are new and exciting. Certainly I grieve for all the suffering in the world, but I just try to improve circumstances i can impact.
Yes, I see the sadness of man’s inhumanity to man also,but that is not under my control. dont worry,Behappy you can think and be compassionate.
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Great post. Thanks!
September 27th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Yes, life does get better as you age. Every thing that you take for granted earlier on in life, acquires a special meaning and you tend to enjoy the gifts of life more.
Source: http://hartfordauto.thehartford.com/Safe-Driving/Expertise-On-Getting-Older/
October 21st, 2010 at 5:22 pm
This is so interesting. I am doing research about cognitive decline with menopause, exercise and brain fitness seems to be a key to memory retention.