Back when I was studying to become a psychologist, I had been fascinated by the “termites” – the nickname of the participants of a project by Lewis Terman, who over 80 years ago began to study 1,500 ten year old Californians. Generations of researchers have been working on this project, following the termites over the decades, to find out (among other things) what factors help people live longer. So what predicts longevity? Read the Psychology Today blog to get a little taste of the answers the researchers have found. The blog is about the book called “The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study”.
Ultimately, there’s no “magic pill” to guarantee a long life, but the research shows that strong predictors of a long life is living your life with purpose, such as with meaningful work, and making social ties with friends and loved ones. Find out more “tips” by reading the book!
Photo credit: Tauno Tohk