If you're happy and you know it

Written by Michelle Albert

There is a tendency to think of old age as a curse, a time in life when the aches and pains take over. But take heart. Dan Buettner’s experience in the Blue Zones is entirely different. Elderly populations there tend to be happy and well adjusted, as well as being much loved by their families and communities.

The same may be broadly true in America. The April issue of the American Sociological Review has two articles on Blue Zone topics. One study analyzes how connected older Americans are to their communities, and the other looks at American levels of happiness broken down by age and race. The good news is that while older Americans do have smaller social networks than younger people, these ties are robust. The article "The Social Connectedness of Older Adults: A National Profile" shows "that age increases the frequency of socializing with neighbors, religious participation, and volunteering.” So as we age, we tend to keep up these important social connections, and these activities may correlate to the fact that generally we become happier as we age. The one exception seems to be Baby Boomers, who are not as happy as the rest of us. The study notes, “Baby boomer’s unique experiences during early adulthood may have had a lasting impact on their sense of happiness.”

The Washington Post covered these articles and offered some analysis as to why those midlife years may pose problems for happiness.

Previous research also has shown that mid-life tends to be the most stressful time, said Cornell University sociologist Elaine Wethington. "Everyone's asking you to do things and you have a lot to do. You're less happy because you feel hassled.”

The lessons from Blue Zones populations are especially important for those of us in midlife as well as underscoring the importance of the aging process. Instead of dreading getting older, look to the lessons from the Blue Zones and current research--The golden years may just come at the end of life.

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