Title: Happiness Across the Lifespan: Is the Midlife Crisis Real?

Date: 6/11/25

Name of podcast: Thrivology Lab

Episode title and number: #22 Happiness Across the Lifespan: Is the Midlife Crisis Real?

Brief summary of episode: In this episode we discuss how happiness and wellbeing change over your life and examine the data supporting the midlife crisis.

Bullet points of key topics + chapter markers

Topic #1 [0:00] Intro. Is happiness U shaped?

Topic #2 [11:145] The midlife crisis data

Topic #3 [17:30] The debate about the U shape

Topic #4 [24:30] Changes in happiness, depression, and despair in adolescents and emerging adults. Are smartphones causing less happiness?

Topic #5 [33 :00] The midlife crisis

Topic #6 [44:30] Happiness as you age

Topic #7 [47:00] Journaling

References & Resources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32929308/

https://doi.org/10.1017/nie.2022.1

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/young-adulthood-is-no-longer-one-of-lifes-happiest-times/

https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2408831

https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000591

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/last-stop-on-the-struggle-bus/202405/these-are-the-stories-we-tell-ourselves

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/21448988-expressive-writing

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