The Secret to a Happy Life, According to People Aged Over-55
Life is too short not to enjoy it to its fullest. For some of us, our dream is to explore the world and for others, it’s to have a large family or perhaps a big career. Dreams are what drive us and now we have the secret to a happy life according to those over age 55.
Royal London recently conducted a survey of 1,000 respondents over the age of 55. Almost half of the people surveyed (44%), don’t feel they’ll be able to achieve everything they want to in their lifetime, their biggest reason being lack of money. According to their findings, spending time with family and friends revealed as the secret to happiness. The runners-up include good health and financial freedom.
In a fast-paced world of technology and social media, it’s easier than ever to meet new people and make new friends. However, making sure you surround yourself with the right friends has also been revealed as one of the secrets to a happy life, with 18% of Brits stating this as an important factor. The top factors for a happy life, according to those over-55 are as follows:
| Top factors | % of responses |
| Spending time with family/friends | 51.8% |
| Good health | 48.9% |
| Financial freedom | 41.3% |
| Finding a work-life balance | 23.3% |
| Living in the moment | 21.8% |
| Surrounding yourself with the right people | 17.8% |
| Having a purpose/passion in life | 17.4% |
| Making memories | 17.2% |
| Giving back to others | 12.5% |
Commenting on the results Louise Eaton-Terry, later life lead at Royal London, states: “Friends and family are key to happiness as our research shows that the over-55s valued spending time with their nearest and dearest the most. Happiness can differ from person to person, but good health and financial freedom were also important factors for a happy life.” At the age of 27, I would have to fully agree that spending time with family and friends, having good health, and being financially stable all seem like a happy way of living to me.
