Secrets for a longer life

Table of Contents

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Personality

Being social

Do not sit a lot

Personality

Your personality affects how long you’ll live. The qualities of a prudent, persistant, well-organized person, like a scientist-professor somewhat obsessive and not at all carefree are the qualities that help lead to a long life. We normally assume that more relaxed people live longer, but it’s not, because conscientious behavior influences other behaviors. Conscientious people tend to make healthier choices.

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Diet matters

Diet may be the most important for DNA health. The more servings of fruits, vegetables, and beans we consume, the longer we may live. A plant-based diet appears to help preserve muscle mass, boost immunity, repair DNA faster, slow the process of aging, meaning one can enjoy not just a longer life, but a healthier one. Many studies looking at the lives of centenarians look at what they eat, and considering many people who live into their hundreds reside in the Mediterranean, that diet — which is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats like olive oil — gets a lot of attention. The diet has been linked to a healthier older age, lower risk for heart disease, and even protection against memory loss.

Genetics

They are a factor too. If your parents had long lives, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will too, but there are likely some biological factors at play.

Keep learning

Education is correlated with a longer life. It found that people with a bachelor’s degree or higher live about nine years longer than people who don’t graduate high school. Other findings show education may be an even bigger factor than race and income. Educated people are more likely to land better jobs, plan for their future, and make healthier lifestyle choices.

Working hard

Longevity Study found that plenty of hard workers lived long lives. It found that productive, hardworking people (even in old age) are not stressed and miserable, but tend to be happier, healthier, and more socially connected than their less productive peers.

Being mindful

There are some findings to suggest that being mindful can actually have effects on lifespan. One such study looked at people attending a three-month stay at a meditation retreat and found that after the three months the meditators had on average about 30% more activity of the enzyme telomerase than the controls did, which is related to aging. The findings are very preliminary, but they suggest that the mind does have influence on the body.

Being social

Having a strong social group is associated with a longer life. Women tend to have stronger social networks, and that may be part of the reason women tend to live longer than men. We often turn to friends and family for support, and taking care of the people that matter to us may help us take better care of ourselves, some evidence shows. Some research even suggests that immune function is improved when we are around our friends, and that they help with stress regulation.

Do not sit a lot

Research shows that sitting for long bouts of time put people at risk for shorter lifespans and other health risks. A study found that each hour people spent sitting down and watching TV after age 25 was linked to a deduction of 22 minutes from their overall life expectancy.