When I'm sitting with a stressed-out patient in my office and I raise the importance of healthy relationships, they almost always intellectually understand. But it's critical, because healthy relationships help people thrive. As Robert Waldinger, director of the decades-long Harvard Study of Adult Development, has explained: "The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Here are three surprisingly simple and actionable strategies you can use to lift loneliness, make connections, and start to foster healthy relationships, all of which can be easily implemented even in your busy daily life. Just make sure you're being mindful of your limited time and energy, so you don't burn out in the process.

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Persons: I'm, Robert Waldinger, Barbara Fredrickson, I've, it's, —, what's, Larry Dossey, …, Mary E, Anderson Organizations: University of Florida, Boston Healthcare, Harvard Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine Locations: elation