Here’s What Age People Are Happiest in Life

Here’s one more reason to look forward to getting older: happiness. While you may think the joyful days of your youth are behind you, we have some good news — science shows that we’re not just happiest at one age in our life, but two.

In a study about human well-being, the Centre of Economic Performance at the London School of Economics and Political Science took data from 23,000 German adults aged 17-85. The participants were asked how satisfied they were with their life and to predict how they would feel in five years; five years later, the same people were asked to report their actual life satisfaction. The results: Life happiness follows a U-shaped curve between the ages of 20 to 70, with peaks at age 23 and then again at age 69. That’s quite a range.

It may not come as a surprise that we’re living our best lives in our early 20s, eager and ready to take on the real world, or in our late 60s, enjoying retirement after years of hard work and accomplishments (hey, they don’t call them the golden years for nothing). But the reason for the U-shape of the curve, researchers discovered, is that young people overestimate their future life satisfaction while older people tend to underestimate it. The dip between peaks is also likely affected by various milestones during those 40+ years — raising families, climbing the corporate ladder, and you know, life in general. Similar studies done in the US, UK, and numerous other countries have also shown similar U-shaped curves.

This isn’t to say it’s all doom and gloom after 23, however. Happiness is individual and a matter of perspective, and there are a million things you can do every day, week, month, and decade to feel content: taking a walk outside, eating more fruits and veggies, loving your body, spending money on experiences… we could go on and on and on until we’re 70.

And if there’s anything to take away from this data, it’s that happiness is not fixed or static, regardless of age. So go out and make your own — a lifetime of happiness awaits.

What do you think of these peak happiness ages? Let us know @BritandCo!

(Photo via Getty)

A lot of people pride themselves on being optimists, and TBH, if you canstay positivewith everything that’s going on in the world today, major props to you. For most people who consider themselves the glass-half-full type, it’s a lifestyle. They try to look at everything that comes their way, from relationship troubles to work mistakes, with a positive spin. But a recent study investigated whether optimists still stay more positive than pessimists when things get really tough, and what they found was pretty surprising.


Scientists analyzed nine previous studies to see how both optimists and pessimists brace themselves for receiving important and potentially negative news, like medical test results. They found that even though people who identify as optimists tend to be more positive in general, they too start assuming the worst as the moment of truth about something important nears. It’s easy to understand this instinct, since some people tend to believe that preparing yourself for the worst will ultimately make it less shocking if it happens. On the other hand, some people would rather stay positive whenever possible, since it’s easier to fight off stress and anxiety when you have a sunny outlook. Here, we’ve gathered some of our favorite expert tips for staying optimistic when you’re dealing with some super hard stuff.

How To Stay Positive

1.Learn to reframe negativity. “The trick to positivity is not avoiding pessimism,” says Elaine Taylor-Klaus, a certified professional coach. “It’s really about how quickly you can redirect your focus from negative to positive. Critical thinkers are going to see problems to be solved, but the ability to ‘reframe’ the conversation is the really important skill for people to practice.” She recommends getting into the habit of acknowledging negative thoughts and then asking, “What else is possible here?” This can guide you back into a positive mindset more quickly.

“Bottom line: Negativity happens,” she says. “Positivity is a choice, and the quicker you learn to reframe, the more time you’ll spend in a positive space. Then, over time, the more likely you are to turn directly to a positive interpretation of events.”

2. Ask yourself if this will matter a month or year from now. Sometimes things seem crucial AF in the moment, but might be inconsequential even just a few days after that. Just think about high school drama. “When we can leave the past behind and even know in the present moment that this feeling won’t last, it can help to remind us that time heals and life goes on,” explainsSharon Stokes, life-fulfillment coach.

3.Give back. Volunteering is an amazing way to change your entire perspective, saysLyssa Menard, a clinical health psychologist, founder of Strategies for Changeand assistant professor at Northwestern University’s medical school. “There are many organizations that don’t require an ongoing commitment, so sign up for an event that’s meaningful. Research shows that giving to others is one of the quickest routes toward happiness. While happiness and positivity are different, they’re correlated,” Lyssa says.

4. Role play to be more objective. Playing a little mind trick on yourself can work wonders, says Lori Scherwin of Strategize That, a career coaching service. “We’re often better at helping others than ourselves,” she notes. “Make the situation more objective and less personal to you. For example, consider if it were anyone else in the situation (like your best friend, partner or colleague). How would you see the same ‘problem?’ What advice might you give them to get out of it?” she asks. This will help you shift from being super hard on yourself to more objective, and most likely, more positive.

5. Make changes to things that are within your control. Spending time worrying about something that you can’t change isn’t really worth the effort. Instead, “Focus on areas where you have agency,” suggests Holly Burton, a career coach for women in male-dominated industries. “You may be stuck in a role you don’t love at work, but you could probably work a few extra hours a week and take on a project that interests you. You could also schedule some proactive meetings with your boss to make an action plan to develop the skills you need to make a lateral move,” she says. In most situations, whether they’re career-related or not, it’s possible to take actions to make things better for yourself.

6. Practice radical acceptance. Some professional coaches suggest trying out the idea of radical acceptance, which is basically accepting the things you cannot change, even if they’re not right or you don’t agree with them.

7.Try this gratitude challenge. First, journal about one event each day for seven days that made you feel happy and/or thankful and include the specifics of why it made you feel that way, going deep into the details. Second, send one random thank you email or text to someone each day, either personally or professionally. This message should include what they did and why it’s worthy of the shout out. Detailed gratitude journals are proven to improve your life satisfaction, so try to stick to a gratitude practice, even in the good times!

What do you do when you’re trying to stay optimistic? Have you tried any of these techniques? Tell us about it @BritandCo!

This article has been updated.

Listen up, chefs: we thought Jeremy Allen White was officially off the market after months of dating the iconic Spanish pop star, Rosalía, but it looks like they're no longer an item! Jeremy was just spotted kissing one of this co-stars from The Bear, bringing their on-screen romance to real life.

Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

Jeremy's on-screen romance turned IRL.

Photos of Jeremy and co-star Molly Gordon (who plays his love interest, Claire, in The Bear) obtained by People show things heating up between the two. The duo had their arms wrapped around each other as they embraced for a kiss. This is the first time we've seen them both linked romantically, and we're honestly shocked and left wondering what happened with Rosalía, who he was going steady with in fall 2023.

October 25, 2024: Jeremy Allen White & Molly Gordon Spark More Rumors

A month after Jeremy Allen White and Molly Gordon were seen locking lips in Los Angeles, Peoplesnagged more photos of the two as they enjoyed a nice walk in NYC. They look cozy in their casual fall outfits — complete with matching burgundy hats — and were all smiles. They've yet to confirm anything though, but they have all the makings of a budding romance that could be serious!

Scroll on for a deeper look into all of Jeremy's recent romantic escapades!

Jeremy Allen White's Steamy Dating History

First, there were the Jeremy Allen White and Selena Gomez dating rumors.

An anonymous submission to DeuxMoi at the beginning of July 2023 set off speculation that the two A-listers were “in touch.” The tip noted that Selena and Jeremy had allegedly met at a Vanity Fair cover shoot and hit it off ever since.

The gossip was neither proved wrong *or* right, though in hindsight, it didn’t hold up too strongly. Not long after rumors began circulating, the Haim sisters posted on Instagram about "single summer," picturing Selena alongside a Taylor Swift-backed girl gang.

Then, a big PDA fest with Ashley Moore.

Things were steaming up on the streets of Los Angeles when Jeremy Allen White was spotted engaging in some serious PDA with model and actress, Ashley Moore in August 2023. How they met is a total mystery, but seeing them together via paparazzi pictures was jaw-dropping – especially considering Mr. White was seen with his estranged wife and kids the week prior. Yikes!

Next, Jeremy publicly thirsting over Alexa Demie.

He’s at it again! In August 2023, Jeremy Allen White scrolled past a video highlighting Alexa Demie’s new campaign with Calvin Klein and did what any fan would do – he left a comment (though minimal): “Wow.”

To publicly show his affection (or rather, attraction) via Instagram is a whole thing in itself. King.

Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for Latin Recording Academy

In fall 2023, Jeremy Allen White and Rosalía were going steady.

“Rosalía and Jeremy Allen White have recently started dating,” a source told Us Weekly in November 2023. “They started out as just friends, but things have turned romantic recently.”

Alexa, play "That Should Be Me" by Justin Bieber!

The duo had been sighted side-by-side a few times. TMZ shared photos of them together at a late-October 2023 farmer's market and even sharing a smoke break in a parking lot. Romantic!

That budding romance came after what we call White’s hot boy summer – he was out and about on the streets of Los Angeles amidst his separation from actress Addison Timlin. Throughout their divorce, White was rumored to be involved with Selena Gomez, thirsting over Alexa Demi on Instagram, and was publicly spotted smooching Ashley Moore.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Despite all of this, Jeremy was spotted being friendly with his divorced ex.

In what TMZ was calling "the friendliest divorce ever," Jeremy Allen White and his now-ex Addison Timlin had been seen doing family activities together amid his romantic antics. The pair shares two young daughters, which is likely why they're still seeing each other from time to time. Where Jeremy's head is, we can't say for sure, but we do know he's out there acting young, wild, and free.

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This post has been updated.

It's fun to learn more about ourselves and to feel understood — that's why we take personality tests so incessantly. And since we live in an age of increased self-awareness, we can apply those tests to so many things, like our Hogwarts house and makeup preferences. Clearly, knowing thyself has taken on a whole new meaning lately, and we love the things that these tests can tell us — but did you ever wonder how your personality might affect your dreams? In a new study, Best Mattress Brand set out to discover whether specific types of people had particular types of dreams. Read on for their fascinating results.

The test explored each component of the Myers-Briggs types, which can be broken down into eight characteristics:

Extraversion or Introversion: This is the way you focus your energy. Extroverts focus on the outside world, and Introverts focus on their inner world.

Sensing or Intuition: This is the way you process information. Sensing individuals focus on the facts, and Intuitive individuals interpret the facts.

Thinking or Feeling: This is the way you make decisions. Thinkers process decisions logically, and Feelers make decisions with context and emotion in mind.

Judging or Perceiving: This is the lens through which you interpret the world. Judgers prefer decisive action, while Perceivers like to keep their options open.

Together, your individual combination of these eight traits creates your personality type. Given these traits as variables, the study surveyed 1,000 people on their Myers Briggs traits and their sleep habits.

As you'd imagine, there were a lot of discrepancies between Introverts and Extroverts. Interestingly enough, Extroverts are 17.7 percent more satisfied with their levels of energy during waking hours than their introverted counterparts. Perhaps it's because of their dream habits: Extroverts also have 8.3 percent fewer nightmares than Introverts. Extroverts also dream about traveling 13.9 percent more often than Introverts do.

What about the content of these dreams? If you're Intuitive, you're 16.8 percent more likely to dream about being killed than Sensers are. ­Apparently, Intuitive individuals' dreams are more violent across the board: They also dream about getting attacked and “punching something with no effect" more often.

There's also a substantial difference between Thinkers and Feelers when it comes to dreams. The more emotional Feelers dream about getting pregnant more often than Thinkers do, and they dream about their friends more often too. Perhaps Thinkers are just thinking too hard; they talk in their sleep almost 10 percent more than Feelers do.

The Judgers and Perceivers have their differences as well; in fact, Perceivers have night terrors 10.2 percent more often than Judgers, probably due to the fact that they experience reality so deeply.

Does your personality type match up with these findings? Let us know @BritandCo.

(Photo via Brit + Co)

This post has been updated.

It’s definitely not too early to start your holiday shopping, and Stanley’s got just the gift for everyone on your list. The brand is debuting their Comfort & Joy holiday collection on October 29, and it’s packed with practical drinkware pieces of all kinds in the coziest colors ever to help ring in the most wonderful time of the year. We’re super stoked about the wine set and rose gold-gilded Quenchers! The Stanley holiday collection is bound to sell out, so acquaint yourself with the entire edit below and scroll on for details on how to snag the pieces for yourself before they’re gone.

Our faves from the Comfort & Joy collection:

What's in the 2024 Stanley holiday collection?

Stanley

There are 16 pieces in Stanley's Comfort & Joy holiday collection, including the famed Quencher tumblers. There's also some fun sets designed for cocktails, wine, and hot beverages!

The main characters in the collection come in three cozy colors: Gilded Sugar (a very light pink), Gilded Pomegranate (deep red), and Gilded Celadon (light teal). Select drinkware is also shoppable in colors like Twilight Gloss (deep navy) and Gilded Marshmallow (stark white).

How do I shop the 2024 Stanley holiday collection?

Stanley

You can shop the Comfort & Joy collection online on Stanley's website starting October 29 at 9am PT. You can also shop it through this post once the collection is live. Sign up to get notified about the drop here!

See The Entire Stanley Holiday Collection Here

Stanley

The Holiday Quencher H2.0 FlowState 40-Ounce Tumbler

The gold and copper details on this classic Quencher make every sip feel super festive!

Stanley

The Holiday Quencher H2.O FlowState 30-Ounce Tumbler

You can also snag the same colorways in a 30-ounce size!

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The Holiday All Day Wine Set

Pour one out for you and your bestie with this travel-friendly wine set.

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The Holiday IceFlow Flip Straw Tumbler

This tumbler is easy to take to and from all the holiday gatherings you'll be attending this season. No shame if you fill it up with some wine.

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The Holiday Stay-Hot Camp Mug

Keep that tea, hot chocolate, or warm cocktail warm with this expertly-insulated mug that's prepped and ready for the holidays with three Stanley signature colors.

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The Holiday Stay-Chill Stacking Pint

This pint keeps its contents cold (or hot) for hours. Party time!

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The Holiday Stay-Chill Growler Set

Camping in the cold? Pour up a warming cocktail – or better yet, some soup into the growler and enjoy with a buddy using the coordinating Stanley cups.

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The Holiday Lifted Spirits Prismatic Craft Cocktail Set

Shake things up this holiday season with this easy-to-use trio. This would also make an excellent gift for the mixologist in your life!

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The Holiday Legendary Classic Bottle with Buddy Cups

This tightly-sealed bottle keeps liquids warm all day long so you can enjoy a comforting sip by the fire, even in the thick of winter.

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The Holiday IceFlow Bottle with Flip Straw Lid

Keep sippin' with this convenient insulated bottle that can help you tackle your morning commute with zero troubles.

Stanley

The Holiday Stanley Cross Bottle

The crossbody strap on this bottle lets you keep your bev close, no matter what you're drinking.

Stanley

The Holiday Stay Hot Camp Mug Set

The ideal set for outdoorsy couples, this duo of insulated mugs will join them on every single adventure!

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The Holiday All Day Slim Bottle

The perfect size for a purse or backpack, this slim bottle still has all the features you know and love from Stanley.

Stanley

The Holiday Quencher H2.0 Samesies Sip Set

This set would be so cute as a gift for a mom + daughter duo. The big size holds 40 ounces, while the smaller one holds 14 ounces of their favorite beverage.

Stanley

The Holiday Quencher Straws for 40-Ounce Tumblers

These straws were made to match the Stanley holiday collection perfectly! They're also available for 30-ounce tumblers.

Subscribe to our newsletter to shop more exciting holiday launches + gift ideas!

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Virgin River fans rejoice: season 6 isn't event out yet (it hits Netflix on December 19) and the show has already been renewed for season 7! Which is a huge deal because that makes Virgin River the longest-running Netflix drama ever, and after so many Netflix cancellations, it's exciting to see a show (especially one that's so feel-good) break that Netflix cancellation curse! And showrunner Patrick Sean Smith promises, “There’s a lot more to go here with these characters" (via Tudum).

Season 6 will see Mel and Jack finally tie the knot (and after we've been waiting for them to say "I do" for literally six years, this wedding is my most-anticipated scene), but the ceremony is just beginning for this cozy TV show. Here's everything you need to know about Virgin River season 7 before you even press play on this winter's episodes ;).

Is Virgin River going to have a season 7?

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Virgin River Season 7 Plot

Yes, we're getting a Virgin River season 7! The new installment will follow Mel and Jack after their wedding day, and Patrick Sean Smith says season 7 will “explore the honeymoon phase for them as they’re building their lives on the farm, which can come with its own obstacles.”

But don't worry hopeless romantics, we don't have to worry about whether Mel and Jack are endgame. “I can’t imagine creating a scenario where you think Mel and Jack are going to break up,” Patrick continues. “It forces you to dig a little bit deeper into, well, what other issues can they have in their relationship? Especially when you want to keep it through the romance lens. I think Alex and Martin play all of those [moments so well], it’s just resting on emotional stakes as opposed to will they, won’t they.”

When is Virgin River season 7 coming out?

Virgin River Season 7 Release Date

We definitely don't have a Virgin River season 7 release date yet (it was literally just announced!) but check back here for updates. Based on the fact we got season 5 in 2023 and are getting season 6 in 2024, here's hoping we get season 7 in 2025.

Who else is going to be in Virgin River season 7?

Netflix

Virgin River Season 7 Cast

The cast of Virgin River season 7 includes Annette O'Toole as Hope, Tim Matheson as Doc, Colin Lawrence as Preacher, Kandyse McClure as Kaia, Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie, and Kai Bradbury as Denny.

“Especially with Hope and Doc, getting to tell love stories between two people at that age is something that television never does,” Patrick says. “Or if they do, it’s for comic relief or something. So the more that we get to grow those characters and dig into them, it just feels special. It feels like nothing else anybody is doing on television.”

Check out 10 Heartwarming & Cozy TV Shows for more watchlist inspiration!