Another year happier

<b>PHOTO</b> 123RF.COM

If you’re prone to birthday meltdowns, you can officially stop now: Chances are, this year will be even better than the last, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reports. Researchers surveyed 1,546 adults, ages 21 to 100, and found that outlooks grew brighter the older the respondents were. “With age, people learn not to sweat the little stuff and also realise that most things ultimately turn out to be pretty small. So they view crises not as a cause for despair but as an opportunity to grow,” says study author Dr Dilip V. Jeste. Plus, he adds, with ageing, the amygdalae – the parts of the brain involved with emotions – actually becomes less reactive to stressful stimuli. That mountain of candles? A molehill.