most popular new years resolutions

Feel like old friends (or family) have fallen by the wayside? Its good for your health to reconnect with them. Research suggests people with strong social ties live longer than those who dont. In fact, a lack of social bonds can damage your health as much as alcohol abuse and smoking, and even more than obesity and lack of exercise, a 2010 study in the journal PLoS Medicine suggests.

We tend to think our own bliss relies on bettering ourselves, but our happiness also increases when we help others, says Peter Kanaris, PhD, coordinator of public education for the New York State Psychological Association. And guess what? Happiness is good for your health. A 2010 study found that people with positive emotions were about 20% less likely than their gloomier peers to have a heart attack or develop heart disease. Other research suggests that positive emotions can make people more resilient and resourceful.

No matter how old you are, heading back to the classroom can help revamp your career, introduce you to new friends, and even boost your brainpower.A 2007 study found that middle age adults who had gone back to school (including night school) sometime in the previous quarter century had stronger memories and verbal skills than those who did not. Whats more, several studies have linked higher educational attainment to a decreased risk of Alzheimers disease.