30 essential tips for living a longer, happier, more successful life with no regrets

The anti-aging market is littered with innovative products and procedures that promise consumers a healthier, happier, longer life.

Some pursuits, like cryotherapy or what the industry refers to as photorejuvenation, are more experimental.

Others, like New York City-based longevity clinic Fountain Life, claim to be more practical, using biomarkers to predict health outcomes and offering patients access to therapeutics.

The secret to longevity might not be as well-kept, or expensive, as the $US62 billion ($94.3b) industry would like us to think. Simple habits like walking more, eating a balanced diet, and keeping up with your doctor’s appointments are all shared by superagers and endorsed by doctors and dieticians who study lifespan.

But prolonging your life isn’t only about physical fitness: a near 90-year-long study from Harvard University found that those who live happier, longer lives have good relationships. And, of course, taking steps to secure your finances can reduce stress and help you feel more comfortable in your later years.

If you want to live longer and feel more fulfilled you probably don’t need lasers or freezers. Instead, take notes from longevity researchers, successful superagers and residents of Blue Zones like Okinawa, Japan and Sardinia, Italy — where staying active beyond age 90 is common.

There’s a lot you can do today at little to no cost that will extend your life and increase your happiness.

30 essential tips for living a longer, happier, more successful life

1. Ask yourself “Who do I want to spend the last day of my life with?” Warren Buffet is known for his financial investments, but he holds social investments in just as high esteem. To live a life without regrets, Buffets asks himself who he’d like to see on his last days, and then tries to make as much time for them as possible now.

2. Avoid pasta and pizza. Limit consumption of the “problematic P’s:” potatoes, pasta, pizza, protein, and pane (or bread). While OK in moderation, these foods become sugar in your body very quickly and can decrease lifespan, says Valter Longo, director of the Longevity and Cancer Laboratory at the IFOM Institute of Oncology.

3. Do a ‘financial fire drill.’ Take account of all your current assets, spending and savings, and project what your finances will look like when you retire. Then, you can see what you need to change in order to live well as you age.

4. Never postpone your doctor’s appointments. Having a conscientious personality is closely related to living longer, says David Watson, a former professor of personality psychology at the University of Notre Dame. Conscientious people are better at staying on top of their health check-ups and curbing toxic habits. “Conscientious people don’t do stupid things so they have lower rates of accidents and better health behaviors,” he says.

5. Write your obituary now. Imagine what you’d like to be in your life story when you pass then work backwards, says Warren Buffet.

Conscientious people don’t do stupid things so they have lower rates of accidents and better health behaviors.

6. Diversify your inner circle. Different friends provide different types of support. Think about who helps you emotionally, mentally and practically. Maybe you have a ton of friends who you can relax with but none to discuss future goals. Once you find out what’s missing you can seek that in current friendships or new ones.

7. Spend time near water. While it’s unclear why living near a coastline or body of water might increase longevity, it seems to (four of the five Blue Zones are near water). “It may be the tranquilizing effect of water or it may be that the climate is moderated because of the water,” says Dan Buettner, author of “The Blue Zones American Kitchen.”

8. Increase your retirement contribution by 1%. A majority of millennial and Gen Z Americans are worried the social security program will run out of money before they can access it. An easy way to make sure you’re covered is to increase your retirement contribution by one or 2 per cent, says Anne Lester, a retirement expert and author of “Your Best Financial Life: Save Smart Now for the Future You Want.”

9. Call someone you haven’t talked to recently. People underestimate how much their friends want to hear from them, according to a 2022 study. An out-of-the blue phone call is actually very appreciated, and the more unexpected the better, researchers found.

10. Use the “hara hachi bu” rule of eating only until you’re 80 per cent full. This Japanese phrase is used by people in Okinawa, Japan, one of the world’s Blue Zones. Research shows that overeating might be linked to shorter lifespan.

11. Don’t retire until you’re 70. Putting off retirement is the most “precious tool” in your financial planning kit, according to Suze Orman. “Delaying your Social Security start date until age 70 entitles you to a monthly payout that’s more than 75 percent higher than your age 62 benefit,” Orman says.

12. Go to a museum. Experts agree just looking at art, even if you don’t quite understand it, can help lower stress levels.

13. Walk more. On the Italian Blue Zone island of Sardinia, residents don’t partake in rigorous morning workouts. Instead, they bake physical activity into their everyday lives. Could you bike to the grocery store instead of driving? Or maybe you could catch up with a friend during a walk instead of over drinks.

14. Drink a little wine. Many Blue Zone residents enjoy a daily glass of wine with their dinner. And while research is mixed on whether moderate drinking actually leads to a longer life, at least one 2017 study of more than 300,000 participants found that light to moderate drinking did reduce risk of death.

15. Visualise your post-retirement life. Once you’re out of the workforce you’ll want to be more intentional with your time. Maybe you want to pick up a part-time job or pursue a hobby. Whatever you decide, it needs to make you excited to wake up every morning.

16. Eat more blueberries. These can strengthen your cells, boost eye health, help with muscle recovery, lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation, says longevity researcher Neil Paulvin. “Blueberries are one of the foods I eat everyday to promote longevity,” he says.

Blueberries are one of the foods I eat everyday to promote longevity.

17. Set financial boundaries with aging parents. Name a dollar amount or time limit after which you cannot offer your parents any more care. This might sound harsh, but more than half, 55 per cent, of American children provide financial assistance to an elderly parent. It’s important to prioritize your family but not at the expense of your own retirement nest egg, says certified financial planner Danielle Miura.

18. Sleep at the same time every night. Maintaining a consistent circadian rhythm can help keep your brain sharp and boost immunity, research shows.

19. Sign up for long-term care insurance. This covers a host of services, like in-home care, not typically included in regular health insurance. “If you have quality long-term care, you are transferring the risk from yourself to the insurance company,” says CFP Mark La Spisa.

20. Do this 5-minute exercise every day. In the blue zone of Okinawa, Japan, many elderly residents practice “raijo taiso” which translates to “radio exercises.” These are low-impact, guided exercise routines that can re-energize your body and mind. “Even the residents of the nursing home we visited dedicated at least five minutes every day to it, though some did the exercises from their wheelchairs,” Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, authors of “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” said.

21. Adopt the Mediterranean diet. Eating seafood at least twice a week and adding more fresh fruits and vegetables, lentils, and whole grains into your diet can reduce risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

22. Put down roots in an aging-friendly place. Be sure your home and your city accommodate your mobility. If you can’t drive, don’t live somewhere where the doctor is a 30-minute car ride away. If you have joint pain, residing in a three-story home might not make sense.

23. Don’t invest impulsively. “Charlie [Munger] and I missed a lot of things … we never worried about missing something that we didn’t understand,” Warren Buffett said at his company’s annual meeting. Whether it be crypto or GameStop, there are lots of fad stocks that might be tempting to buy. If you haven’t done your research, though, it’s best not to invest.

24. Find a creative community. Psychologist Thema Bryant says one key to sustaining happiness is having a sisterhood circle. “It’s a group of women I connect with monthly and it’s two hours long,” she says. “The first hour we are informally sharing and meeting and then in the second hour we each go around and share something inspirational.”

Charlie [Munger] and I missed a lot of things … we never worried about missing something that we didn’t understand.

25. Cut out soda. One food that registered dietician Jinan Banna never has is soda. “Soda doesn’t have any nutritional value other than just calories in the form of sugar,” she says. “So they’re empty calories, which don’t give us any of the nutrients that we need.”

26. Join AARP now. You can get discounts at chain restaurants, movie theaters and flights at any age, and the benefits only increase as you get older.

27. Ask a friend to hang out tonight. To increase your happiness today, invite a friend to meet up tonight. “People may often be busy three weeks before but they’re not busy the day of,” renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel said on a podcast. “It’s an amazing thing how many people are going to spend the night at home.”

28. Invest in a workplace retirement account. Almost 80% of Americans who have at least 20 years of future participation in a defined-contribution plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), will have enough money to sustain their expenses in retirement, according to Morningstar data.

29. Make deposits of kindness. Community can act as a safety net when it comes to eldercare, but only if you invest in those relationships. By joining a volunteer group or helping out at a recreation center, you’re more likely to make connections with people who care about your wellbeing.

30. Ask yourself, “What do I regret?” today. “You don’t need to wait and then look back and wish you had done things differently,” says psychologist Michael Gervais. “You can start with a clean slate today.” If you wish you made more time for your child, look for ways to do so this week. If you feel like there might be a better job for you out there, apply to some positions today.

CNBC