LACK OF SLEEP (- 5 years)

Good-quality sleep is positively linked to successful aging and longer survival. On the flip side, fragmented sleep patterns tend to be a sign of faster aging and disease.

Sleep studies indicate that disrupted sleep can lead to irritability, memory and concentration levels and ability to handle stress.

The American Cancer Society performed a large study in 1950 and found that people who slept for just four or fewer hours a night had the highest death rates – while those who sleep excessively nine to ten hours a night had higher death rates. More recent research suggests that people sleeping six to seven hours a night live the longest.

YOGA (+ 5 years)

This type of physical exercise slows down the aging process by creating a more flexible spine, eliminating stress, correcting poor posture, and toning the skin.

According to yoga philosophy, your spine’s flexibility is the biggest factor in determining your age, not the number of years.

It is said that yoga affects all the crucial determinants of your longevity – the brain, spine, and circulation as well as having a positive effect on several areas of the body. Who can’t use a boost in that department?!

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS (+ 2 years)

Conscientiousness is related to emotional intelligence, higher academic achievement and involves being thoughtful, organized, committed, and thorough. These personal qualities tend to create a heightened awareness of your own health needs, leading to a serious emphasis on optimal living and disease prevention.

According to the Terman Life-Cycle Study (1922-1991), adults who were not very conscientious during their childhood had a shorter life expectancy. Conscientious individuals are more likely to place a major focus on:

a. eating healthy foods even though they may prefer to regularly indulge in fattening, unhealthy foods
b. exercise even when they don’t feel like it
c. have regular physical exams and screening tests
d. avoid health-reducing activities such as drinking, drug use and dangerous sports because they have a genuine concern about the effects on themselves as well as those around them.

Being conscientious can develop into care for others and the community, building support and stability in your own life as well as the lives of those around you and is more likely to create work and living environments that promote healthy lifestyles.