Good news: if you’re over 50, you’re not just getting older, you’re getting happier.

The National Academy of Sciences has good news for older adults. In a study published online May 17, the Academy Reports:

… people start out at age 18 feeling pretty good about themselves, and then, apparently, life begins to throw curve balls. They feel worse and worse until they hit 50. At that point, there is a sharp reversal, and people keep getting happier as they age. By the time they are 85, they are even more satisfied with themselves than they were at 18.

[From Happiness May Come With Age, Study Says – NYTimes.com]