Service and schooling in your 20s leads to a happy 30s, BYU study finds

SALT LAKE CITY — Choices made in a person’s 20s can have lasting effects for the rest of their lives.

Huge life decisions, social circles and career decisions all come at a pivotal time, right before the brain is fully developed. To learn more about choices made in a one’s 20s, BYU students Melanie Lynn Loft, Mallory A. Millett and Laura M. Padilla-Walker, led by professor Larry J. Nelson, conducted a study to determine what choices lead to the happiest 30s.

After surveying 4,969 adults in their 30s, the research was conclusive: Service and schooling in one’s 20s made the biggest difference in flourishing for the next decade.

As a professor and lead researcher, Nelson has learned through his career of studying children, teens and now young adults, that the period of time from age 18-29 can be pivotal in a person’s life.

“They’re going through another time of life. If we can help them establish a healthy trajectory, that will carry them through adulthood — just like how a good start as preschoolers can help through childhood and adolescence,” Nelson said.

Similarly to the childlike transitions, graduating from high school and moving on to the next phase of college, career and family can be a drastic transformation for many individuals, according to Nelson.

“The transition to adulthood is one of the most important and challenging transitions of life,” Nelson said. “Young adults suddenly have a lot of autonomy and instability, but not much support and structure. By the end of this decade, many young adults are left with addictions, health problems, a lack of social networks and criminal records.”

He also shared that the 20s can be the peak time for drug and alcohol use, criminal activity, the onset of mental health issues, eating disorders and arrest records.

In analyzing the results, Nelson and his team looked at negative experiences such as poor emotional health and regret in contrast with positive effects such as life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and hope.

“Sometimes we think healthy development is just the absence of bad things. But, the absence of what I call floundering does not mean flourishing is taking place,” Nelson explained.

More specifically, the team asked participants to reflect on their behavior throughout their 20s. Past activities such as education, volunteer work, video game use, risky sex and criminal activity were all addressed by the nearly 5,000 participants. The team took that data and then connected how those choices related to well-being indicators in the 30s, such as life and relationship satisfaction, emotional health, general hope for the future, and overall regret of the past. Nelson and his team took into account factors such as gender, income and ethnicity in the study.

The results showed a strong correlation between volunteering, education and overall life satisfaction in the 30s.

According to the study, “Young adults who pursued education during their 20s reported increased life satisfaction, better emotional health and lower levels of regret. Volunteering provided the same benefits, with the addition of improved relationship satisfaction and hope for the future.”

Nelson believes that education can be a bridge to better employment, lower stress and an overall more positive outlook on life.

“Education is that forward-facing component that, while they’re enjoying their time, they’re laying the foundation for the future,” Nelson explained.

However, the team believes volunteering can be the lynchpin for happiness and satisfaction.

“I think it’s important to show that young people also need to be intentionally doing good things and trying to gain education, not just focusing on themselves and their lives, but volunteering and turning outward. Results suggested that (volunteering) benefits not only those whom they may be helping, but it’s benefiting them long term,” Nelson shared.

Nelson encouraged young adults to take this knowledge and begin applying it to everyday life. According to the study, the amount of volunteering has no bearing on the positive influence. For those juggling classes, part-time jobs, relationships and other changes, Nelson believes that service and education are still possible throughout the busy time.