What makes for a healthy and happy life? Depending on who you ask, you’ll probably get a different answer because everyone has their own idea of what health and happiness looks like for them—and, if you don’t, then culture (ahem, most likely social media) will tell you what to strive for. But what does research have to say?

Harvard Study of Adult Development shared their findings from their more than 80 years long study of people, revealing two big takeaways: the happiest people who lived long lives took care of their health and experienced close relationships.

So what does that have to do with leadership? Well, everything. Because how you lead yourself matters. And whether you intend it to or not, your well-being impacts those around you—and it clearly affects the health and happiness of your lifespan.

In this article, we offer coaching tips for you on how to pursue physical health, grow in your most important relationships and manage the balance needed in your career so that you can increase your well-being and live the healthiest and happiest life that you can!

What is the Harvard Study of Adult Development?

You may have heard Robert Waldinger’s TED Talk on this study or read his new book, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness (co-authored with Marc Schulz, PhD) as they really dig into the findings from the research. But, in quick summary, the study began in 1938 when a group of researchers through the Grant Study began tracking the lives of sophomore men at Harvard University. Over the past 80 plus years, the study has covered three sample groups and expanded its participant base to include more people than only Harvard men, tracking thousands. It is one of the longest studies ever performed (to public knowledge) and revealed a lot of information—but important facts to note are: the happiest people had community, were not work obsessed and stayed physically healthy as they aged.

Coaching Tips on 3 Key Areas Directly Tied to Health and Happiness

We want to help you apply these findings directly to your own life and leadership. The study revealed that physical health and close relationships are key to happiness—and we know how your work can impact both. So just as we recommend in our free Life Plan Guide, let’s address all three areas.

1. Physical Health. This means exercise and nutrition; they go hand in hand. You may be following a diet or sticking to a workout routine, but the most important thing is to be pursuing physical health in a well-rounded way with a healthy mindset. Don’t get hung up on a goal weight or calorie count. Life throws unexpected events at us and our bodies age. So give yourself grace on those days when an easy meal is the best choice for you or when an early bedtime and good book is what you need mentally instead of your typical workout. It’s important to pursue physical health steadily and sustainably throughout your lifetime so that it doesn’t become a start/stop sort of event to you. And remember, food is fuel. And how you fuel your body is fueling your days—and directly impacting how you show up both at work and at home.

2. Relational Health. Have you taken the “temperature” of your closest relationships lately? We all experience relational conflict at times and during different seasons—because we’re human and it’s normal. But when you find yourself in relational conflict, how do you handle it? Do you own your part in it? Do you participate in productive and healthy dialogue? In moments of conflict, are you able to understand when you’re feeling triggered and experiencing an amygdala hijack? It’s important to lead yourself well in relationships and take the time to understand your innate reactions so that you can facilitate repair (to the extent that you own) and foster relational health in your life.

3. Career Health. The data from the study blatantly refutes the hustle culture and encourages health in all aspects of life—including career health. Don’t mishear us, we aren’t saying that achievements aren’t worthwhile or there won’t be days when you need to put in more hours, but we are saying that healthy work-life boundaries are vital—and possible. So take those vacations (or staycations)! And carve out time to show up for those who matter most to you. If you need to leave the office 30 minutes early on Thursdays to make it to your child’s soccer game, then talk to your manager and mark your calendar accordingly to make it happen.

A common piece of feedback that we receive from our coaching clients is that working with us is life changing. And we don’t share that lightly; we recognize it’s an immense privilege. Our approach to leadership development is holistic and integrative because we know that how you spend your days directly impacts your home life. And we know that balance and health are possible. So get in touch with us if you’d like to learn more about how we coach others to lead happy, healthy and purposeful lives. We’d love to walk with you!