Relationships are what matters and studies show that having strong relationships makes you happier — even if you’re an introvert. You can have all the stuff in the world. Your relationships are what are substantive. Take the time to work on them. One of the top five regrets of the dying is not spending enough time with family and friends.
I’ve often thought I could get through stressful periods by focusing all of my energy on getting stuff done or researching answers to problems. Sometimes, the best thing I could do, was pick up the phone and call someone who would make me laugh.
A study published in Psychological Science found that not only are relationships important to happiness but having more substantive conversations rather than idle chit chat played a role in increased happiness.
