No matter how old you are or where you live, there seems to be one simple investment that could have a major payoff for your health: Creating a life that's rich in loving relationships.
Strong connections, much like consistent exercise and healthy eating, can greatly influence how long someone lives, Dr. Robert Waldinger, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, previously told Business Insider. (Just look at 99-year-old former President Jimmy Carter, who was married to his late wife Rosalynn for 77 years.)
Waldinger explains how strong connections lead to increased happiness, as well as better physical health in his new book, "The Good Life: Lessons from the world's longest scientific study of happiness." Other aging researchers have found results similar to Waldinger's, finding that pursuing companionship can curb stress, a major factor in developing chronic pain and disease, Business Insider previously reported.
Here are many of the ways love can help your mind and body feel better.