The saying goes, “You're not getting older, you're getting better.” Who would have guessed that it was actually true? With the start of the new year you will soon be facing another birthday. Science has produced some surprising evidence that gives us all a reason to celebrate birthdays with enthusiasm, regardless of age. Here are six reasons why you can relax and enjoy your next birthday.

1) Older people tend to be happier. Logically, the physical and mental changes that come with age should leave us depressed and unhappy. However, this isn’t the case. Actually, these age-related changes have little to do with one’s happiness.

2) Self-esteem increases with age. Healthy self-esteem appears to increase as we age as well. A healthy self esteem allows us to be more satisfied with ourselves and can lead to greater successes in life. We’re better able to evaluate our accomplishments against our own internal set of guidelines rather than comparing ourselves to others.

3) The older you are, the better you recover from bad news. Perspective helps us deal with most anything, and the older we get, the more perspective we gain.

4) Older people tend to have more satisfying relationships. As we get older, relationships tend to solidify and bonds become stronger. Certain friendships may fall by the wayside as time and people change, but those that last as we grow older are meaningful relationships that keep us young and enjoying life.

5) Prioritizing is easier as we get older. Younger people tend to have more trouble letting the small stuff roll off and focusing on those things that are truly important.

6) Cash savviness comes with age. Older people tend to be less stressed about market fluctuations and less panicky about losing money.