What Actually Makes Us Happy? Lessons from Harvard's Longest Study on Happiness episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 24, 2026 · 29 MIN

What Actually Makes Us Happy? Lessons from Harvard's Longest Study on Happiness

from This Might Help · host Dr Ciara Hart and Dr Lauren Rossetti

Thank you for listening and supporting This Might Help.In this week's episode, we discuss the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies on adult life and wellbeing ever conducted. From decades of research, the study highlights what actually predicts a long, healthy and fulfilling life! In this episode, we covered:How relationships are the single strongest predictor of happiness The harms of loneliness What people regretted when they looked back on their lives What we can take from the findings of the study and implement into our lives to boost wellbeing and happiness.You can find us on socials @thismighthelppodcast - ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTokThe full video version of this episode is available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@thismighthelppodcastThe research we chat about can be found below:Waldinger, R. J., & Schulz, M. S. (2010). Psychology and Aging, 25(2), 422–431. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019087The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness published in 2023 by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz (https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-good-life-9781846046780)Some additional resources can be found here:https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_the_secret_to_a_happy_life_lessons_from_8_decades_of_researchAdditional support can be found through:Beyond Blue - https://www.beyondblue.org.au 1300 22 4636 LifeLine - https://988lifeline.org/get-help/ 13 11 14 Headspace - https://headspace.org.au 1800 650 890 (for those aged 25 or under) 

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