Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

news.harvard.edu

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 179 posts

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#81

Post by CalRobert »

coldtea wrote: post #32
aschearer wrote: post #9

If you like this you may also enjoy "The Village Effect" by Susan Pinker[1]. In the book the author documents various ways in which social connectedness impacts our well being. As this article and book say "loneliness kills", but what does that mean for those of us who want to live long and healthy lives? Do we need to start scheduling social time alongside gym time? Will a hug a day keep the doctor away? Should we j…

> As this article and book say "loneliness kills", but what does that mean for those of us who want to live long and healthy lives? Do we need to start scheduling social time alongside gym time? No, we need to stop scheduling things and embrace a less forced, more natural, community-centric, living.

I think your vision of things is the ideal, but it also isn't always practical. If you live a 30 minute drive (or more) away from everyone you know, and service-workers / fellow consumers (people at the grocery store, etc) are anonymous to you, scheduled interaction may be your only interaction.

Of course, that also speaks to a profound failure of urban design and a desolate hellscape. Human-scale communities where you're a 10-30 minute _walk_ from your friends make this sort of less-forced living much easier.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#83

Post by lentil_soup »

derekp7 wrote: post #50
BatFastard wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go to some meet ups, join a church, coach something... Good luck!

I really wish there were good community organizations that bring people together like a church, but weren't religious based. I guess that's what organizations such as the Moose lodge, or Lions club attempt to fill?

Something like a Third Place (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place) ... And yes, this kind of environment should be encouraged more!

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#84

Post by lentil_soup »

mmel wrote: post #45
BatFastard wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not too late! Socialize more, exercise everyday, and take something for depression! Learn new things, I had a rough spell a few years ago which took its toll. Now what I find is I have to walk the razors edge everyday. Make sure I sleep enough, eat right (low carb and fasting), exercise twice a day. If I dont I start to lose the edge.

>"Take something for depression" What happy pills do you recommend?

Don't just take pills, see a therapist.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#85

Post by arghimonmobile2 »

Wildgoose wrote: post #72
derekp7 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish there were good community organizations that bring people together like a church, but weren't religious based. I guess that's what organizations such as the Moose lodge, or Lions club attempt to fill?

Join your local Go Club - they're always looking for new players. Mentally stimulating and in my experience Go players often work in an IT-related field. Play Go and you will find new friends worldwide.

The fact that you'd meet many people in IT would be a turnoff for me, since i prefer a diverse friend group. But YMMV.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#86

Post by maccard »

derekp7 wrote: post #50
BatFastard wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go to some meet ups, join a church, coach something... Good luck!

I really wish there were good community organizations that bring people together like a church, but weren't religious based. I guess that's what organizations such as the Moose lodge, or Lions club attempt to fill?

Sports clubs fill that gap normally.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#87

Post by andyjohnson0 »

quickthrower wrote: post #54
rubicon33 wrote: post #8

What I take from this article is that social interaction is extremely important to ones health, and it's something that we largely taken for granted. In the age of computers and secluded work environments, I think we need to be aware of the effect that even casual interaction has on our mental and physical health. I have some personal/anecdotal experience which back this research up and affirms my belief that communi…

Thanks for the heads up. This is something that I've wondered about with working from home. I think I'd like 1 or 2 days per week at home and rest in the office for ideal ratio.

I've been working at home on Monday and Friday, with the other days in an open-plan office, for the last twelve years. Its a good ratio that works well for me.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#88

Post by gourou »

thegenius2000 wrote: post #82

I don't mean to be offensive or inflammatory, but how is this a discovery? Yes, money and success don't buy you happiness; living in a complete community is healthy. How was this not completely obvious?

Happiness is healthy seems to be their discovery

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#89

Post by curiousgal »

rubicon33 wrote: post #8

What I take from this article is that social interaction is extremely important to ones health, and it's something that we largely taken for granted. In the age of computers and secluded work environments, I think we need to be aware of the effect that even casual interaction has on our mental and physical health. I have some personal/anecdotal experience which back this research up and affirms my belief that communi…

I often come across similar comments and they scare me. I share a lot of similarities and I am only in my early twenties. I decided to take a gap year and take part of an exchange program abroad.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#90

Post by keithpeter »

nojvek wrote: post #55
biofox wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You just described my life with uncanny accuracy. I have suspected for some time that my problems were due to social isolation, but I have been too apathetic to make an effort to do anything. You've just given me the motivation to change that. Thank you!

Since this is HN I think a lot of users would fall in this camp. I'm definitely guilty of this. I'm not great at social interactions.

I'd say that because of the kind of work that many here do, the onset isolation/neglect of friendship networks is more obvious than in other occupations. That means people here will notice the situation more quickly and be able to take sensible proportionate steps.

I work as a teacher, so in a normal week I have lots and lots of high bandwidth face to face engagement with hundreds of people. I've seen people retire from teaching and suddenly discover the relative atrophy of their non-work networks, and I'm taking steps to avoid the same experience.

Post reply on HN