Staying in touch with friends and family is one of the top five regrets of the dying.
If you want more evidence that time with friends is beneficial for you, research proves it can make you happier right now, too.
Social time is highly valuable when it comes to improving our happiness, even for introverts. Several studies have found that time spent with friends and family makes a big difference to how happy we feel.
I love the way Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert explains it:
We are happy when we have family, we are happy when we have friends and almost all the other things we think make us happy are actually just ways of getting more family and friends.
George Vaillant is the director of a 72-year study of the lives of 268 men.
In an interview in the March 2008 newsletter to the Grant Study subjects, Vaillant was asked, "What have you learned from the Grant Study men?" Vaillant's response: "That the only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people."
He shared insights of the study with Joshua Wolf Shenk at The Atlantic on how men's social connections made a difference to their overall happiness:
Men's relationships at age 47, he found, predicted late-life adjustment better than any other variable. Good sibling relationships seem especially powerful: 93 percent of the men who were thriving at age 65 had been close to a brother or sister when younger.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Socio-Economics states than your relationships are worth more than $100,000:
Using the British Household Panel Survey, I find that an increase in the level of social involvements is worth up to an extra £85,000 a year in terms of life satisfaction. Actual changes in income, on the other hand, buy very little happiness.
I think that last line is especially fascinating: Actual changes in income, on the other hand, buy very little happiness. So we could increase our annual income by hundreds of thousands of dollars and still not be as happy as we would if we increased the strength of our social relationships.
The Terman study, covered in The Longevity Project, found that relationships and how we help others were important factors in living long, happy lives:
We figured that if a Terman participant sincerely felt that he or she had friends and relatives to count on when having a hard time then that person would be healthier. Those who felt very loved and cared for, we predicted, would live the longest.
Surprise: our prediction was wrong... Beyond social network size, the clearest benefit of social relationships came from helping others. Those who helped their friends and neighbors, advising and caring for others, tended to live to old age.
Going out with Cynthia and my little one!! A great evening planned out already!! Pizza party! What else can excite a kid more.
Ten Ideas for Making the Most of the Family Time You Get.. I am sure that you would find it beneficial.
9 ways to maximize family time....from parents.com, though I am too young for it. But, soon enough I would require these advices so preparing myself now only.
More than a month now not seen my mom.. So this weekend am glad to be a mumma's boy.. Enjoying her cooking and some real great time with Daddy..
Planned a trip to Disney Land this weekend...
Enjoy!!!
I stick the birthdays and other important dates on the refrigerator.
Atleast I would never ever regret... This is so far my best New Year.. A surprise from my parents and brother. Money or anything can never buy me something more precious than this Happiness that my family got me.
You are so right!! Wishing a great joyous year ahead.
Happy New Year Buddy!
Most of the time I have to travel for my work. Some whenever I am home, I make sure to have my dinner with my family... Mom, dad, sister.. I cherish those moments a lot.
A day with family... It is priceless.
Making time for the BEST things in life.
I generally don't get much of a time to be with my kids. I missed Jack's baseball games last week. He was really upset. However, I decided I am going to be with them. Watch them growing. I made many changes in my daily routine and really I just love to be a kid with them.. Cynthia, you complete my life. I love you.
Lewis you have such nice loving family. It would be a foolish thing to do to miss the kids' childhood. Finally, you are stealing time out of your busy day for yourself your family. Awesome.
You work day in, day out for your family only. Surely your family your kids know and value that. It's for your sake, your happiness .. you doing a right thing to be with them.
Stolen moments are doing wonders. oxoxox
Thanks Jose..