Want to be as happy as possible in your 60s, 70s, 80’s, and beyond? Researchers at Harvard University tell us that 7 habits lead to happiness in old age.
(I’ll add in an 8th one of my own at the bottom of this list.)
What 7 habits lead to happiness in old age?
(Your kids need to know about this!)
In 1938 (at the height of the Great Depression), Harvard researchers began studying a group of male Harvard students—looking closely at their lifestyles, habits, relationships, work, and happiness. The research study eventually expanded to include women, and has been continually updated for over 80 years.
This research shows that these 7 habits lead to happiness in old age:
- Not smoking
- Not drinking alcohol
- Keeping a healthy body weight
- Regular exercise (for example, regular walking)
- Emotional resilience
- Education
- Quality relationships with others
Learn more detail about this Harvard study and its results in this Atlantic article by Arthur C. Brooks.
These 7 habits lead to happiness—but one additional habit can enhance happiness.
I’m adding in this 8th habit for the students who follow me: achieving long-term financial security through the miracle of compound interest.
You can learn why Albert Einstein called compound interest the 8th wonder of the world in this Forbes article titled The Life-Changing Magic of Compound Interest.
If you’re a teacher, make this article a reading assignment and ask your students to write about it after they read it!
If you’re a parent, help your kids grasp the concept of compound interest by using ideas in my article Your High Schooler—Excited about Saving Money in a ROTH IRA.
Who is Arthur C. Brooks?
Arthur C. Brooks is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, the William Henry Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School. He’s the host of the podcast series How to Build a Happy Life and the author of From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.
For clear, step-by-step help getting your kids through college debt-free and into jobs they love afterward, get your copy of my book:
It’s a reference book, so nobody reads the whole thing cover to cover. Pick out what you need to read in it using the fast-paced, 10-minute video instructions here.
You can see hundreds of reviews of this book on Amazon by going to:
You can see why financial advising professionals love LAUNCH, here.
You can see the top 9 questions parents are asking me about LAUNCH, here.
Read just one chapter of LAUNCH every 1–3 months while your child’s in middle school and high school, and you’ll know every viable strategy for debt-free college at exactly the right time to implement it.
And if your child’s already well past middle school? That’s OK; you can run to catch up. But the process of getting your kids through college debt-free goes more smoothly the earlier you start it—especially if you’re not planning to save up any money to pay for college.
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Who is Jeannie Burlowski?
Jeannie is a full-time academic strategist, podcast host, and sought-after speaker for students ages 12–26, their parents, and the professionals who serve them. Her writing, speaking, and podcasting help parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free, ready to jump directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, Parents Magazine, and US News and World Report, and on CBS News.
Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com.
No part of this article was written using AI.