The Surgeon General just wrote you a prescription for happiness. Here’s what it says

Outgoing United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy just released his Parting Prescription for America, a set of reflections on his personal and professional experiences after spending six of the last ten years as our nation’s top doctor.

Unlike his predecessors who focused on physical illnesses, during his service in the Biden administration, Murthy focused on the country’s mental health crisis and our current epidemic of loneliness and isolation, especially in the workplace, for parents, and among young people. His goal was to understand the root causes of the pain and unhappiness Americans are feeling across our country.

Murthy said that after traveling across America for two terms and speaking with thousands of Americans, he discovered something deeply disturbing: The one thing ailing all Americans was the erosion of a sense of community.

“In dispirited and disheartened tones, people have confided, ‘I don’t have anyone to count on,'” Murthy writes. “They tell me that they feel they carry life’s burdens alone—and it’s exhausting. In different ways, people tell me they feel something is missing in their lives.”

Murthy’s last prescription

In his parting prescription, Murthy lays out how Americans can cultivate health, happiness, and fulfillment by rebuilding community centered on relationships, service, and purpose.

Murthy argues that these three things—”relationships, service, and purpose”—are essential for a happy, connected, and fulfilling life. They are the time-tested “triad of fulfillment” that stands in contrast to our current definition of success—wealth, fame, and power—which focuses on the individual, unlike fulfillment that connects us with something bigger than the individual and thereby gives us both meaning and a sense of belonging.

Here are Murthy’s thoughts on each element and how it impacts our health, as detailed in his parting prescription.

Relationships

Relationships are the connections we build with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and others we encounter. Healthy relationships in which we can be ourselves and be seen can be a powerful source of joy and support, and can be buffers to stress.

When we lack meaningful relationships, we can experience loneliness. Currently, a third of adults and around half of young people experience loneliness. Being socially disconnected increases our risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and premature death.

Service

Service comprises the actions we take that benefit others. Even though service is defined as benefiting others, filling one’s life with service can have profound benefits to the person rendering the service.

Studies show that sustained service efforts can reduce the risk of hypertension, stroke, early death, depression, and cognitive decline, and can make us feel more connected to others.

Purpose

Purpose is the feeling of having an overarching life aim that guides and prioritizes our decisions and actions. It’s not “what” we do, it’s “why” we do it.

Purpose can be good for our physical and mental health. A high sense of individual purpose may reduce the risk of early death as well as stroke, lung disease, and dementia for some. Research also shows that people with a strong sense of purpose may experience lower levels of depression and anxiety and greater resilience in the face of stress.