Certain lifestyle habits can negatively affect your physical and mental health, shortening your potential lifespan.
Jump to Key Takeaways.
1. Eating Mainly Processed Foods
One of the most significant dietary changes that has taken place in many countries over the last 30 years has been a shift to consuming more processed foods. Along with processing comes increased sodium, more saturated fat, more sugar, and less fiber. The result? More cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes.1
What to do instead: Aim to eat more whole foods. Opt for foods high in fiber (linked to greater longevity) and use ingredients you purchase and prepare yourself. If you’re short on time, cook ahead in big batches, or splurge on ready-made salads and other fresh or frozen vegetables while watching the sodium and sugar contents on the label.
2. Smoking
If you smoke, you know how hard quitting can be. But here’s some inspiration: The NIH says tobacco use remains the most preventable cause of death. Some estimates suggest smoking can rob you of a decade of life.
What to do instead: Quit smoking. When you quit, your blood pressure and circulation improve, and your risk of getting cancer decreases every year. Plus, you’ll look younger, too.2
3. Sitting Still
A sedentary lifestyle increases your risk for various chronic diseases.3 If you don’t feel you have time to exercise, consider this: You may not need to hit the global minimum recommendations of 30 minutes a day, five or more times per week, to extend your life.
What to do instead: Engage in 15-20 minutes of vigorous activity. A 2022 study found that 15-20 minutes of vigorous activity per week, accrued in short bursts, was linked to a lower risk of dying prematurely. These findings suggest that reducing health risks may be possible through relatively modest amounts of exercise, as long as that exercise boosts your heart rate sufficiently.4
4. Holding a Grudge
Anger can be a tough emotion to release, especially if you feel justified in your outrage. Maybe the best question to ask yourself is this: Is it worth my health?
What to do instead: Let it go. When you’re stressed or angry, your levels of the stress hormone cortisol go up, which has adverse effects on your heart, metabolism, and immune system. In a number of studies, high cortisol has been associated with greater mortality.5
5. Keeping to Yourself
Social isolation can harm your physical and mental health and increase your risk for premature death.6
What to do instead: Socialize. Staying social can be a good longevity booster, helping you manage stress and strengthening your immune system. Good relationships keep you strong, while bad relationships can leave you in a negative frame of mind and put you at risk of depression and even heart attacks.
6. Thinking That Only Big Changes Count
Sweeping, radical lifestyle changes might be inspiring, but they can also be too daunting—and therefore, short-lived—for ordinary mortals. The next time you resolve to eat healthier or exercise more, try aiming low.
What to do instead: Start small. Pick one small change at a time, like getting up 10 minutes earlier to fix yourself a healthy lunch for work, instead of a major life makeover.
7. Letting Fear (or Denial) Keep You From Being Healthy
Ignoring health concerns will not make them disappear.
What to do instead: See a healthcare provider regularly. People who are conscientious of their health tend to engage in healthy behaviors like eating well, exercising, and following their healthcare provider’s advice while avoiding risky behaviors like smoking or driving too fast.
8. Cheating Your Night’s Sleep
The amount of sleep you get can affect your lifespan. According to a 2017 meta-analysis, sleeping substantially more or less than the seven-hour optimum was shown to put people at greater risk of death. A good night’s sleep can also help you ward off stress, depression, and heart disease, factors affecting your longevity.7
What to do instead: Prioritize healthy sleep habits. You can learn to fall asleep more quickly and take measures that help, like keeping your bedroom dark and distraction-free and maintaining a cool room temperature. Meditation exercises can set the stage for a good night’s sleep, and an inexpensive noise machine can help with relaxing sounds. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, see a healthcare provider for help.
9. Stressing
Stress takes its toll on your body and may accelerate aging.8
What to do instead: Reduce stress. Managing stress will help improve your quality of life and long-term health. Journaling or writing in a diary, meditating (a practice with multiple longevity benefits), and learning relaxation techniques are excellent ways to de-stress.9
10. Relying on (or Blaming) Your Genes
Having parents, grandparents, or other family members live into their nineties and beyond might suggest that you will too, but don’t rely too heavily on that family history. Family studies have demonstrated that only about 25% of the variation in human longevity is due to genetic factors.10
What to do instead: Modify your health habits. Environmental and lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, exposure to toxins, stress, regular medical tests, and even your social relationships play a role in how long you might live. Why focus on the genetics you can’t control when other factors can benefit from your attention?
Key Takeaways
Predictable fixes like eating better, quitting smoking, being conscientious of your health, and getting better sleep are a few ways to extend your lifespan.
That said, it’s essential not to ignore your social and emotional health by staying connected to friends and family and letting go of stress and anger.
Don’t rely on your genes to do the heavy lifting, and remember that small changes can lead to big payoffs for your longevity.
