To Get Happier, Just Get Older!

Finally, there's a reason that aging should bring a smile to your face - according to a new study, people get happier as they get older.

The study was based on a Gallup poll that asked 340,000 people nationwide to rank their overall life satisfaction on a scale of one to 10. The results found that people start feeling pretty good about themselves around age 18. Then life throws them for a loop, and they feel worse and worse until they hit 50. From that point on, they do a 180 and keep getting happier. Around age 85, people are about as happy as they were when they were 18.

Other study results included:

• Stress declines from age 22 onward, reaching its lowest point at 85
• Worry stays pretty steady until age 50, then sharply drops off
• Anger decreases steadily from age 18 on
• Sadness peaks at age 50, declines until age 73 and then rises again until age 85

To view the study's abstract, click here. The online version of The New York Times also has a great article on the study. You can view it here.