A new study has revealed feeling happy or content with your life doesn't necessarily mean you'll enjoy the benefits of living longer or increased health.

According to the New York Times, a new study that followed one million middle-aged women over the course of 10 years found out that the common belief that happiness will lead to a better health may actually be unfounded. The researchers found that happiness and similar measures of a well-being did not have a direct effect on human mortality rates.

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Professor Richard Peto, the author of the study and his team of researchers decided to explore the subject due to a worldwide belief that stress and unhappiness can lead to a decreased health. Dr. Peto states that the new research is good news for the grumpy, as those with a less sunny demeanour are often blamed for bringing sickness to their body.

"Believing things that aren't true isn't a good idea. There are enough scare stories about health," Dr. Peto said.

The study tracked a million women between the aged of 50 and 69. They were asked questions about happiness, control, relaxation, and stress. Their levels of blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and depression or anxiety were also ascertained. The CDC states that average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78.8 years. The leading causes of death are heart disease and cancer.

The findings suggest that among women unhappiness and stress levels were not associated to an increased risk of death. This new research contradicts previous studies that have suggested a connection between unhappiness and adverse health effects.

According to Atlanta.Cbs, despite the findings, experts warn that while unhappiness may not directly affect health, it can cause harm in other ways when people tend to indulge in suicide, alcoholism, and increased risk of dangerous behaviour.

"I would have liked to see more discussion of how people translate these complicated feelings into a self-report of happiness," said Baruch Fischhoff, a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University, who studies decision-making.

The authors of the study hope the findings will make people to rethink common notions of unhappiness. 

TagsHappiness, Common notions, anxiety, Stress, Live life longer, Healthy