A Purposeful Life is a Longer Life

How you feel about your life may ultimately determine its longevity. Researchers from Carleton University in Canada discovered that people who find more purpose in their lives are more likely to age well.

"Our findings point to the fact that finding a direction for life, and setting overarching goals for what you want to achieve can help you actually live longer, regardless of when you find your purpose," said lead study author Patrick Hill of the university, via a press release. "So the earlier someone comes to a direction for life, the earlier these protective effects may be able to occur."

Hill and other researchers worked to determine how these benefits vary over time by analyzing data from over 6,000 participants who took part in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study.

Researchers studied self-reported information from participants on their purpose in life and other factors that helped them determine their relations with others and whether certain outcomes resulted positively or negatively.

Findings showed that 560 participants died during the 14-year follow-up period, most of whom had reported lower life satisfaction and fewer positive relations.

Results also revealed that greater life purpose was linked to lower death risk across an individual's lifespan.

"There are a lot of reasons to believe that being purposeful might help protect older adults more so than younger ones," Hill explained. "For instance, adults might need a sense of direction more, after they have left the workplace and lost that source for organizing their daily events. In addition, older adults are more likely to face mortality risks than younger adults."

"To show that purpose predicts longer lives for younger and older adults alike is pretty interesting, and underscores the power of the construct," he added. "These findings suggest that there's something unique about finding a purpose that seems to be leading to greater longevity."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Psychological Science.