Ever dreamt of aging slower? Ever wanting to see your grandchildren grow up? Ever dream of living a few years longer?

In the long run, we’ll all die. The question is not if, but rather when. But, let’s face it. How long you’ll live is partly controlled by your genes, and therefore different people can expect to reach different ages. However, your lifestyle and your habits may buy you a few more years to live. Here are a few actions and habits that are proven to make people live longer:

1. Get a move on.

Why?

Physical activity has proven to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, hip fracture, high blood pressure and overweight. A study claims that a person at the age of 65 may expect to live 12,7 years longer if he or she is exercising regularity.

How?

Find a kind of activity that you really enjoy. Keep motivating yourself. Do everyday exercising, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Take a walk with your dog, do some yard-work or go play tennis. The important thing is to exercise frequently. If possible, try to find some time to work out every day.

2. Have sex.

Why?

No complains here, right? Having sex every now and then may increase your life with 3-8 years. The chemicals released by orgasms may reduce stress and help you relax more.

How?

I’ll leave this one for you to figure out.

3. Get married.

Why?

In a study conducted in the US, bachelors aged between 19 and 44 were more than twice as likely to die as people on the same age who were married. People who were divorced were also more likely to die younger than people who lived their whole life with the same partner.

How?

Find a partner who you know for sure you can share your whole life with.

4. Watch your weight.

Why?

Researches have found that being overweight increases the risk of getting heart disease, vascular disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease and cancer.

How?

Find a diet that works for you. Personally, I’d lower my consumption of carbohydrates, especially fast ones such as sugar, and increase my consumption of protein, as protein stimulates the burning of fat and creates a feeling of fullness.

5. Stay optimistic.

Why?

Studies have show that among people aged 65 to 85, optimistic ones had a 55 % lower risk of dying within eight years.

How?

Make an effort to keep a positive view on life. Take chances. Accept that everything may not work out as expected. Learn from your mistakes instead of getting beaten down.

6. Quit smoking.

Why?

A study showed that people who quit smoking reduced the risk of death by 13 % within five years. Within 20 years, the ex-smokers had about the same risk of dying as people who had never smoked.

How?

When it comes to quitting smoking, the hard part is always motivation. Why do you want to live longer in the first place? Make a list of all the reasons you can come up with.

7. Get your antioxidants.

Why?

A diet rich in antioxidants boost your immune system, prevents cancer and heart disease and may make your body age slower. However, this is only the case for antioxidants from food, as antioxidants from dietary supplements may have no noticeable or even harmful effects.

How?

Eat lots of fruits, veggies and legumes, especially colourful ones, as many antioxidants give plants their specific colours. Eats lots of berries, as these contain huge amounts of antioxidants in relation to their calorie content. Drink tea, especially green tea, without milk. Consume moderate amounts of dark chocolate, coffee and red wine.

8. De-stress.

Why?

Researches have found that too much stress increases your risk of heart disease.

How?

Find time for yourself, or time to spend with your loved ones. Meditate. Take a warm bath. Exercise. Learn to separate your work life and your private life. Participate in social activities.

Enjoy your new long and happy life!

Related posts:

1. How Sleep Affects Longevity
2. 41 Benefits of Quitting Smoking

In these fast-paced times stress is a big problem. Some people don’t realise they’re too stressed, and some don’t know what to do about it. Some don’t think they have time to de-stress. They’re wrong.

In many cases, being calm makes you more focused and therefore more productive. In that way, reducing stress can give you more time to do the things you love. Here’s how.

1. Get some light. When your body absorbs sunlight, it starts to produce hormones such as serotonin, that stabilizes your mood. This is especially important during the winter months when you will be exposed to less light. Exposure to light during the days will also make you sleep better, making it easier to relax.
2. Laugh. Laughter reducers your level of a stress hormone called cortisol. Go ahead and have a laugh. I will make you feel better.
3. Work out. Exercising improves the flow of blood to your brain and increases the levels of endorphins in your body. Endorphins are hormones that will give you a feeling of happiness and overall wellbeing.
4. Learn to say “no”. If you’re the kind of person who agrees to take care of everything for everyone, you’re likely to become stressed if you don’t learn to set boundaries. By saying “no” to dealing with other people’s problems, you also say “yes” to dealing with your own.
5. Meditate. When you hear the word “meditation” you may think of new-age influenced people twisting their bodies into uncomfortable positions while chanting “ohmmm” for half an hour. Ignore these thoughts. Meditation is simply keeping your attention in the present and clearing your mind from thoughts. If you’re a beginner, try this: Sit down on a pillow on the floor. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Listen to your own breaths and feel the air going down to your lungs. Clear your mind from thoughts. Wait and see what your next thought will be. When that thought enters your mind, let it dissolve and wait for the next one. Do this for five minutes or until you’ve calmed down.
6. Focus on this very moment. Do only one thing at a time. Put your focus on your senses. What sounds do you hear right now? What do smell? What do you feel? Enjoy the shape of the flowers and the feeling of a gentle breeze. Hear the singing bird. Notice the details. Avoid thinking about the past or the future – life is what’s happening right now.
7. Drink tea. Having a cup of chamomile tea is a traditional way to calm you mind and relieve stress. However, other kinds of tea have shown to reduce stress as well.
8. Write down everything you have to do. Set a realistic time frame and decide when to do what.
9. Split up big tasks into smaller ones. Big tasks can cause a lot of stress. By making smaller tasks out of the big ones you can see your progress easier, and you’ll gain the satisfaction of checking something of your to-do list.
10. Don’t procrastinate. Use the one minute rule: if you have something you have to do that takes less than a minute, do it right away. Otherwise you’ll find yourself overwhelmed with things to do later on.
11. Declutter your home. By spending time in a cluttered environment, your mind will become cluttered as well. Set aside some time every day to declutter your home. ZenHabits.net has a great article on this topic.

You might not be able to try all of these things out, but do them one at a time and see what works for you.

Do you got any great way to cope with stress or anxiety? Share your wisdom below.

Photo: mtungate

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