Whenever I find myself getting anxious or down, I remind myself I'm in my 20s. I should try to enjoy this time while it lasts. This is the happiest I'll ever be, right?
Wrong.
According to a government survey conducted in the UK, the best is yet to come. The survey looked at data from 300,000 adults over a three-year period (between 2012 and 2015) and found people reported being happiest between the ages of 65 and 79.
So, while I may currently be as healthy as a horse and still have my youthful glow as a late 20-something, according to this new research, I won't hit my highest life satisfaction level for over three decades. Now that's something to think about.
Before you kick back, relax and think about how freakin' excited you are to turn 65, consider this: You may hit a bump in the road in your mid-40s. According to the survey data, ratings of life satisfaction and happiness were lowest between the ages of 45 and 59.
Even people in their 90s reported being happier than grumpy middle-aged folks. Yikes.
Of course, this isn't the first time the correlation between happiness and age has been studied. A 2014 survey found 58 was the happiest age of all, while research conducted last year found being 34 was actually ideal.
But whether you end up being your happiest at 34, 58 or 79, keep your head up. You've got a lot to look forward to.
Citations: You won't be happiest until you turn 65 years old (Quartz), Measuring National Well-being, Personal Well-being in the UK, 3 year data 2012 to 2015 (Office for National Statistics), The Unexpected Age When People Say They Are Their Happiest (Huffington Post), Turning 34 marks the start of the happiest year of our lives when we get married, have children and make it big in our careers (Daily Mail)
