GOOD FRIENDS ADD YEARS TO YOUR LIFE TOO

ONE powerful predictor of overall positivity, as well as longevity, is the strength and quality of your relationships. If you want proof, look to the longest human study in recent history.

In the 1940s, scientists at Harvard University followed more than 700 teenage boys throughout their lives to see what impact wealth and education had on life expectancy.

Some were rich and privileged, others were from Boston’s poorest neighbourhoods.

Every two years they asked the men questions about their health and their overall lives, including about their mental and emotional wellbeing.

It wasn’t cholesterol levels, education or wealth that predicted whether or not they made it to a happy, healthy 80 years old.

Rather, it was how satisfied they were in their relationships around the age of 50.

It was those who had strong connections with their family, friends and community who were less likely to succumb to diseases, had better mental health and stayed sharper.

Being lonely, on the other hand, was toxic for mental health and led to more rapid cognitive decline.

And although having a committed, loving partner did seem to be protective, the director of the study – psychiatrist Dr Robert Waldinger – noted that it needn’t be romantic.

Anyone – be it a close friend or relative who the men could count on in times of need – provided health-boosting benefits.

Dr Waldinger says this is especially important when approaching retirement age, when work friends may fall by the wayside.

Take up singing, dancing, volunteering or join a social club.

I am now a loyal member of a men’s reading group, which I really treasure.