THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS is having great relationships, says the world’s longest study on happiness. For over 80 years, Harvard Medical School has been studying the happiness of a group of people in the hope that the study would reveal clues to leading healthy and happy lives.

The study revealed that CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS, more than money or fame are what keep people happy throughout their lives. People who keep warm relationships live longer and happier and the loners often died earlier, the study reveals. “Loneliness kills.. it’s as powerful as smoking or alcoholism”, say the researchers.

“The surprising finding is that how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health,” said Robert Waldinger, director of the study, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too.”

You can read more details about the Harvard study HERE.