The average human life expectancy these days is around 78 years old (women tend to live 5 years longer, 83 years old.) Although the fountain of youth is an object of desire to most people, there might be some simpler ways to achieve longevity.
From exercising regularly, to eating healthy and staring at chests, these are just a couple of way to increase your lifespan.
Here are 5 scientifically proven but unusual methods that will help you live longer.
1. The power of positive thinking has been preached vehemently these past couple of years. And not because it’s some otherworldly concept, but because it’s generally forgotten and brushed away.
Thinking positively and erasing negative thoughts is essential to building up your self-esteem, self confidence and also those around you. Not succumbing to your emotions or every fleeting thought is what separates the good from the great.
But how can we achieve a positive mindset? Staring at chests. Yes, a study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that staring at chests could create a positive mindset.
2. Doing the do has shown to have some serious health benefits not only in its cardiovascular benefits but also in relation to stress relief and mood enhancement.
3. Showing responsibility. Having tasks to do and then performing them accurately has some positive effects on longevity.
Whether it be taking care of a pet, having a significant other to look after, or rambunctious children running around the house, fulfilling your responsibilities helps in being more social and alert which helps with increasing lifespan.
According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, senior residents of a nursing home were found to be more social and alert when given a plant and not letting it die.
Those who were successful at their task showcased better alertness and improved social skills while the control group did not exhibit those characteristics.
Maintaining a social life and being observant can be beneficial to one’s health.
4. Companionship is an essential part of life.
It’s nature versus nurture, but nurture plays a vital role. Nurture is the reason for feral children or successful adults.
Being socially adept and having someone to rely on can be extremely positive. Whether it’s someone to ‘relieve stress with’ (as mentioned earlier) or just simply someone to talk to, having a significant other has been scientifically proven to enhance health.
A study conducted by Harvard surveyed 127,000 Americans and they found that men who were married appeared to live longer.
The study showed that men who got married after the age of 25 were more likely to live longer than those who married younger.
5. Having kids can help you live longer. You might be thinking this is the opposite of reducing stress. However, a study conducted by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health showed that couples who had children tended to live 1 and a half years longer when they reached the age of 60.
And men with kids who lived till 80 tended to live eight months longer than those without children.
Whether this is in regards to fulfilling responsibilities (successfully raising children) or the evolutionary aspect of successfully passing on your genetic material is still to be debated.
But the fact is men with children tend to live longer when they hit old age.
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