Why People Our Age Have Stayed Happier through the Pandemic

By the middle of last year, I wanted the word "unprecedented" stricken from the English language. Every time I heard it, I not only wished the speaker would learn to use a thesaurus, but the insecurity the word implies pushed me into some unhealthy self-soothing like TMJ (it's a wonder I don't have lockjaw). The stress of 2020 was more than I ever thought I could endure, but somehow I settled into a routine—centered around binge-watching Masterpiece Theater TV, listening to audiobooks about female spies during World War II (real stress), and being head vegetable chopper for my husband's culinary pursuits. My little rut became comfortable, almost welcome in a strange way.

Older age was associated with less concern about the threat of Covid-19, better emotional well-being, and more daily positive events.

I thought about my adjustment to the realities of COVID when I read that recent research discovered that through the pandemic older people have stayed the happiest, compared to other age groups, even though we are at more risk for the nasty stuff—ventilators and worse. "Even when enveloped by persistent and dire threats to health and well-being, older people display notable emotional resilience," concluded a report published in Psychological Science.