For many people, the quest for happiness is all-consuming. We search for it in money, relationships, sex, work and friendships. Some people have all these things and are still, well, a bit miserable.
Science now thinks there’s a good reason for that. A growing body of evidence suggests that adult happiness is, to some extent, age-related. Unsurprisingly, very young people in their late teens and early 20s tend to be quite happy. More surprisingly, so do those aged 55-plus. In between life satisfaction dips, reaching its nadir in our late 40s before rising steadily into late middle age and beyond.
Of course, this is only true if all else is equal. Health problems and economic uncertainty can affect the happiness of anyone at any age. But many psychologists now believe that, in Western countries at least, the curve of human happiness is U-shaped, with peaks in young adulthood and later life and a trough in between.
A recent summary of life satisfaction research confirmed the U-curve theory after analysing seven separate studies. The authors agreed that “there is much evidence that humans experience a midlife psychological ‘low’.”
Peak responsibility
Why might that be? One theory is that, very broadly, it is something to do with stress and responsibility. Young adults are relatively carefree, right up until the point they start saving for a mortgage or climbing the career ladder, when their happiness starts to decline. In our 30s and 40s our careers are at their peak, with all the stress that entails, and we might also be juggling the demands of work with those of a family.
As we hit our 50s, those headaches start to recede. We care less about career progression, and our children look after themselves. By our 60s, all else being equal, we’ve never been happier.
That’s one theory. Another is that, in our teens and 20s, we’re full of unrealistic hopes. We’ll change the world, become millionaires, or marry models. The gradual dashing of those dreams makes us miserable. But in later life we gain a new sense of realism and a new contentment with our lot.
Bucking the trend
Whichever theory you believe, all this can start to sound a bit fatalistic. If happiness is related to age, is there anything we can do about it? Or should those in their 30s and 40s simply accept their misery and wait for advancing years to turn the happiness curve in their favour, even if that is still quite a few years away?
It’s worth pointing out that the happiness curve is based on averages, and that plenty of people buck the trend. For example, a lot of people tend to experience work stress in their 40s, but not everybody does. Similarly, while some people find parenthood difficult, others enjoy every minute. Nothing is set in stone.
Which means that, whatever your age, there is plenty you can do to feel more content. For example, a large number of studies suggest that people who express gratitude tend to be happier. That expression may simply take the form of regularly writing down some of the things we have to be thankful for. By doing so, we cut through negative thoughts and gain a sense of perspective.
Exercise is something else that has been shown to nurture contentment. One recent study found that even gentle movement is associated with happiness. Other research has found that exercise can help to stave off depression.
According to the NHS, other tips to help you be happier include managing stress levels (perhaps by changing your working hours), boosting your self-esteem and banishing negative thinking, and adopting a healthier lifestyle. Alcohol can make you feel down, while a healthy diet can make you feel emotionally stronger.
None of these strategies are age-dependent, and they have all been found to positively affect mental wellbeing. It’s interesting to note that the U-shaped happiness curve is most strongly found in studies of wealthy Western societies, and is less pronounced elsewhere. That suggests happiness levels are not biologically fixed, and that we all have the power to change how happy we feel. Perhaps that is the happiest finding of all.