The Secret to Living Longer Is Within You
Think about the last time you laughed so hard your stomach hurt, or lost track of time doing something you love. When the days stretched out in front of you, without the low hum of a to-do list in your mind. These moments become rarer in adulthood, and you must squeeze them into a life that's wonderfully yet demandingly full. But amongst all of your responsibilities, having fun tends to get pushed farther and farther down the list until you can’t remember the last time you did something just for the joy of it.
Studies show that happy people tend to live longer, which suggests that rediscovering the joy of being alive is critical for your health. This article is here to help you remember what it was like to be playful, present, curious, and free—like you were as a child, before self-censorship and expectation crept in.
Do Happy People Live Longer?
A great deal of research shows that happiness is associated with greater life expectancy and a lower risk of cognitive impairment, heart disease, stroke, and chronic illness.[1] However, the relationship between health and happiness might be a bit more complex.
Happiness is subjective—what fills one person with joy could be dreadful to someone else. Plus, there are countless internal and external factors that can influence health and happiness, stemming from your genetics and unique biology to your environment and choices.[2] Finland is the “happiest country in the world,” but Singapore has the highest life expectancy (likely due to its health-forward public policies).[3],[4]
Still, people with positive well-being tend to make better decisions for their health, and working toward better health tends to make people feel better mentally and physically.[1] There is an inverse relationship between perceived stress and happiness—the happier you are, the easier it is to deal with stress and the less likely you are to experience the negative effects of high cortisol.[5] Even people who have health risks, including advanced age, high cholesterol, and hypertension, are 22% lless likely to develop heart disease as compared to people with negative well-being.[2]
Do happy people live longer? Generally, yes. The next question is…
Where Do You Find Happiness?
What people don’t tell you about happiness is that you likely won’t find it in the places you think you should. Adult life is often stressful, challenging, repetitive, and full of important responsibilities. Joy can feel like something you have to wait for or work towards. That one week of vacation. A night out with friends. Journaling about how grateful you are. But even these moments are full of expectation, and if you don’t feel as satisfied as you were hoping to, you may start to feel like nothing makes you happy anymore.
Happiness is extremely personal and unique to you. You have to find your own version of it. Think back to when you were young, and you had no responsibilities. What would you do with your time?
Would you run around outside with your friends and climb trees?
Did you play video games until it was past your bedtime?
Were you fond of painting, coloring, and drawing with chalk?
Could you zoom around on roller skates or a skateboard without a care for bruised knees?
The child who saw weekends as two days full of wonder and the hours after school as an opportunity to try something new is still within you. Happiness lies in tapping back into that.
How to Rediscover Joy
Write a list things you love or used to love that you haven't done in a while. They don’t have to be things from your childhood, but they can be. Think of things you—at one point—could do for hours without realizing how much time had passed.
Maybe it's painting, dancing, gardening, playing soccer, cooking or baking, swimming, flipping through magazines, shopping, or simply sitting outside with no agenda. Don't overthink it. Just write down whatever comes to mind.
Pick one activity you can do this week, even for 10 minutes. Something you don’t need to buy supplies for or go too far out of your way. The idea is to remember what it feels like to do something just because you want to and you can. Repeat this every week or a couple of times a week. Choose the same activity or a new one—whatever calls to you.
As you go, pay attention to energy shifts. Do you notice yourself looking forward to your activity? Do you feel more energized or inspired? More like yourself?
Joy and happiness are always waiting for you. Try this exercise any time you need to find them. (And you just might be doing your long-term health a favor).
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Global Healing exists to support the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—and emotional vitality is foundational to all of it. You don't have to earn your way back to happiness. You just have to remember it's yours, and it’s always there for you to find. Support your journey back to yourself and youthful vitality with science-backed supplements formulated with longevity in mind.
References (5)
- Chang Woo Song, Kay, P., Xinyi Gwee, Wee, S.-L., & Tze Pin Ng. (2023). Happy people live longer because they are healthy people. BMC Geriatrics, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04030-w
- eClinicalMedicine. (2025). Letting happiness happen. EClinicalMedicine, 86, 103467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103467
- WHR Dashboard. (2025). Worldhappiness.report. https://data.worldhappiness.report/country/FIN
- Galloway, L. (2024, October 10). The world’s sixth “Blue Zone”: Why Singapore values both quantity and quality of life. Bbc.com; BBC. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20241002-singapore-the-worlds-sixth-blue-zone
- Schiffrin, H. H., & Nelson, S. K. (2008). Stressed and Happy? Investigating the Relationship Between Happiness and Perceived Stress. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(1), 33–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-008-9104-7
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.
Dr. Edward Group, DC
FOUNDER | HEALER | ADVOCATEDr. Group, DC is a healer and alternative health advocate, and an industry leader and innovator in the field of natural health who is dedicated to helping others. He is a registered doctor of chiropractic (DC), a naturopathic practitioner (NP), and proud alum of Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr. Group, DC is the founder of Global Healing – a mission and vision he has shared through best-selling books and frequent media appearances. He aims to spread his message of positivity, hope, and wellness throughout the world.
