The Specific Age People Really Start To 'Flourish,' According To New Study
Despite common rhetoric, most people's 20s are not actually all that great.
Inside Creative House | Shutterstock People often say that your 20s are the best years of your life, but according to a recent study, that's not exactly true. Perhaps more surprisingly, most people don't truly flourish in their 30s, either, or even their 40s.
A new study found that people really start to flourish at age 50.
The Global Flourishing Study, published in the journal Nature Mental Health, examined the connection between happiness and the age at which people start to feel satisfied with their lives. The data was primarily collected by Gallup in 2023, derived from self-reported surveys of more than 200,000 people in over 20 countries.
Researchers discovered that, on average, young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 struggle with their happiness, physical and mental health, perceptions of their character, finding meaning in life, the quality of their relationships, and their financial security. That doesn't exactly sound like flourishing, does it?
They determined that most participants had relatively low measures of flourishing until age 50. In this case, flourishing is defined as "the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person’s life are good, including the contexts in which that person lives."
Many young people today are not flourishing in the ways they anticipated.
"Young people are not doing as well as they used to be," the study bluntly stated.
Many Gen Z adults spent their teenage years hearing how adulthood was supposed to be, only to age into something entirely different. Now, as adults, many have discovered that the markers and milestones of what it means to be a successful adult are no longer accessible.
They can't afford to buy a home, many are unable to find well-paying work, and the idea of marriage and family is constantly getting kicked down the road. However, the problem has always been putting specific expectations on certain ages. Life is unpredictable, and timing varies for everyone.
The best and kindest thing we can do is find gratefulness in all aspects of life, even when things are not how we imagined. This means spending time with friends and loved ones, surrounding yourself with community, and doing things that make you feel satisfied and content. The true markers of adulthood don't have to be a mortgage, a high-paying job, or a perfectly curated life.
Parts of flourishing in life are within your control.
It may be tempting to give in and accept that you are not flourishing; however, you can actively work to find happiness and improve your well-being. One way to do so is by focusing on your relationships.
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According to the Global Flourishing Study, human connection is crucial for a good life. People who participate in religious or civic life tend to report higher well-being, as well as those who live with others or regularly share meals.
Just like anything else in life, certain factors that are outside of a person's control. You can't snap your fingers and fix the economy, reverse climate change, or overhaul the political state. But you can control your own actions. Rather than wallowing in despair, you can choose to spend time with people you love and care about.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
