For both men and women, higher levels of optimism were associated with a longer life span and “exceptional longevity,” which the researchers defined as surviving to 85.
The bottom line is, no matter why or how you do it, there are countless benefits to smiling, especially when it comes to your health. In fact, studies have shown that smiling can help you live better—happier—longer.
Not only are happy people less likely to send out surges of stress hormones like cortisol that contribute to heart disease, but they're also more likely to follow good self-care and have better social networks -- both reliable indicators of good physical health.
Generally, older people who report high well-being—being happier with a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction—have a lower risk of dying as they age than those who don't. One study assessed the well-being of people ages 52 to 79 on one day and followed up with them for about five years.
According to a study published in the Social Indicators Research journal, we're the happiest between the ages of 30-34, and midlife (our 40s and 50s) is not perceived as the least happy period in life.
At 23, life satisfaction is at its highest.
All things considered, 23 is the magic number for feeling particularly satisfied with your life. The conclusion is based on a survey of 23,000 people in Germany.
Happiness actually may increase with age. It may be unfathomable for some young people to think of their grandparents as being happier than they are, but research shows that Americans actually get happier as they age despite their health conditions and other problems that arise.
The research looked at flickers of electrical energy in the brain that make up brain waves. Researchers associated some patterns with calmness and others with tension, stress, and anxiety. They found that people with the calmest brain regions also had the healthiest biomarkers, indicative of a longer life.
“People were asked to rate how old they thought the faces were. After the study was done, we found people rated the smiling faces, on average, 1 year older than the same faces in neutral expressions.”
In addition to being a natural way to cover up those wrinkles temporarily, smiling has a ton of skin-friendly beauty benefits, including: Stress reduction. Makes you look younger. Emphasizes cheek bones and lips.
When you smile, your facial muscles relax, making your face appear at ease and not taut with tension. A natural smile is one of the best remedies for anti-aging.
While being alone and feeling alone are not the same thing, the effect on longevity is similar. The BYU study found that social isolation and living alone were even more harmful to a person's health than feelings of loneliness, increasing mortality risk by 29% and 32%, respectively.
In any case, improving mental health is a proven method to live longer. It has been demonstrated that people who practice positive thinking live an average of 8 to 13 years longer.
It found that survival was 50% greater for those with stronger social relationships compared to those with lesser or no social bonds.
Several factors are associated with greater prosociality in long-lived people. This includes increased positive affection. Older adults may develop mood-enhancing skills that are less likely to be used by younger adults, although scientists accept that there is significant variation between individuals.
As we move into our 50s, they become more stable and we begin to achieve more serenity in life. Apart from that, we are more drawn to positivity and are able to hold on to it for longer, which is another reason why we feel happier as we age.
The level of happiness and optimism of respondents in their 70s “was far higher than we expected,” Wertheimer told me. Happiness now spikes in your 70s, generally speaking, according to the survey: 90% of respondents in their 70s said they were happy, compared with 81% in their 60s and 80% in their 40s.
A new large study sought to find out, and according to a sample of over 50s looking back over their life, the answer is between age 30-34. The study was published in Springer Social Indicators Research. Now, don't panic – this is purely a statistical curve and 30-34 is simply at the peak.
When it comes to body shape and longevity, it's more helpful to compare apples and pears. That's the message of a study published in the journal PLOS ONE that found that pear-shaped people, who have comparatively thinner waists than people shaped like apples, tend to live longer.
Age & Gender
How long you have already lived is one of the best predictors of how long you may live. Life expectancy has been increasing for years thanks to growing awareness of personal health maintenance and medical care that keeps on improving.
Peak Physical Age
The physical peak age is the point in your life when your reproductive system, motor abilities, strength, and lung capacity are in optimal condition – this generally occurs between 30 and 40 years of age.
The middle of life may be a time of unhappiness and stress.
At least, that's the implication of a new survey of 2,000 people from U.K. theater chain Cineworld, which found that life is “least fun” at age 45. Additionally, more than half of people say that finding fun in everyday life gets harder the older you get.
Most of Europe have similar views of old age to the World Health Organisation, believing old age starts at 65 years of age. In America, one researcher found that you are considered old at 70 to 71 years of age for men and 73 to 73 for women.
Among respondents ages 16 to 24, 40% reported feeling lonely very often—the largest group to do so. Loneliness among young adults was 13 percentage points higher than other age groups.