Who wouldn’t want to live longer and, moreover, with better quality? I emphasize the word ‘live,’ not just survive. Guidelines for a longer and healthier life on Earth. Although life expectancy has significantly increased, most people spend the majority of their lives in illness and suffering. I believe that by living consciously, we can greatly influence the quality of our lives and prevent diseases or premature death. There are some rules and measures for a longer and healthier life on Earth. I believe there are many more disappointed and unhappy people who simply lack the will for anything. They live from day to day. A healthier, longer, and higher-quality life requires a lot, above all, self-work, perseverance, consistency, and discipline, so whoever likes it can do it.
To begin with, people should understand that a longer life depends mainly on us. Let’s just remember the beginning of the 20th century when infectious diseases for which there was no cure and which were responsible for a third of all deaths were rampant. And today? Unfortunately, despite medical progress, technology… people are sicker than ever – both physically and mentally. Why is that? According to statistics, today the number one killers are cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis) and cancer, responsible for up to 75% of deaths. An accountable and aware individual can do a lot for themselves and receive an incentive by taking responsible care of themselves.
Here are some tips for a long and quality life from my perspective and the experience of a healthy and happy person:
1. Don’t be afraid, and let go of your fears!
I am aware that there are many reasons to fear in our world today. We are bombarded with 24/7 terrifying stories about economic crises, natural disasters, mass murders, wars, nuclear threats, and more. Fear becomes destructive when we are obsessed and constantly worry about what might happen, allowing fear to rule or dominate our lives. This is the kind of fear that the Bible warns about when it repeatedly says, “Do not be afraid.”
2. Laughter as medicine!
People who view the world with more optimism have significantly better immunity and are stronger than people who are constantly gloomy, angry, and bitter, and whose entire body exudes those bad vibes. Laugh. Give a smile to others. In the morning, when you wake up, instead of a gloomy and worried face, smile at yourself and the people around you. Laughter has healing properties.
3. Reduce stress.
Just like anger and rage, and generally feeling bitter towards someone or something, stress harms your body and can shorten your life. Reduce it and enhance the quality of your life. There are countless ways to reduce stress.
4. Recharge your energy with good feelings instead of food and other dependencies.
Remember how, as children playing outside, unlike today’s children, we could forget to eat or sleep. I mean, it would be good to maintain that attitude as adults. This means that it is not good to burden and tire our bodies with too much food. As a person gets older, especially after the age of fifty, they should eat less. Of course, smoking and alcohol are not part of the plan. The most important thing for our vitality is to feel content and fulfilled from within. A person who smokes and drinks is not happy and fulfilled because they wouldn’t use smoking and alcohol to escape their emotions, just as a person who is overly concerned about nutrition wouldn’t be.
Conclusion: How you feel on the inside manifests on the outside. The happier and more fulfilled you are, the less food and other supplements and bad habits you need to mask your inner state.
5. Eat less; obese people don’t live long.
This second piece of advice connects to the first. You should take care of your weight and be ‘fit,’ in good physical condition. Do not overeat and develop a habit of balanced and small meals that nourish your brain with nutrients rather than fast and processed food with no nutritional value. There’s a reason it’s called ‘junk food.’ Not to mention smoking, which has been proven to age (damage) the brain and accelerate dementia.
Avoid these foods altogether:
- Sweets are a pure combination of fats and sugars in the case of chocolate products, 100% sugar and starch in the case of candies, and are the most responsible factors for atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, bone decay, tooth decay, hair loss, and a real epidemic of obesity.
Processed meats – pâtés, sausages, salamis, and sausages are also a deadly combination of fats and animal proteins with a lot of spices, salt, nitrates, and other preservatives. Excessive and frequent consumption leads to constant fluid retention in the body and triggers cardiovascular diseases, gout, and atherosclerosis. - Carbonated drinks – artificial colors and preservatives, heaps of sugar, artificial sweeteners that are carcinogenic… all of this is found in carbonated drinks. These drinks, by adding CO2, lead to bloating, damage to the mucous membrane and digestive organs, water accumulation in the body, the development of degenerative fat tissue, and hypertension.
- Snacks are nutritionally worthless products that directly cause weight gain, water and fat accumulation in the body, increased blood pressure, and hormonal imbalance.
- Pastries and sourdough are another very bad combination of carbohydrates and fats.
- Soups and all dishes from bags, industrial sauces.
- Margarine is fat formed by hydrogenating vegetable oils, creating a special form of monounsaturated fatty acids. They accumulate on the walls of blood vessels and represent a significant risk for the development of atherosclerosis and cancer.
6. Distance yourself from negative people and news.
I don’t need to give additional instructions for this. It’s all clear to you. It’s up to you to implement this rule or advice. Ask yourself and answer: ‘What do I gain by listening, reading, or watching negative news and associating with negative and pessimistic people? Do I feel better afterward?’
7. Define your goals and plan everything you can plan in advance.
Everyone has life goals, although it is often not noticed at first glance. Goals allow us to focus better, move in the right direction, motivate ourselves, and separate our personal and professional lives. Set smart goals and plan the desired results yourself. Decide for yourself what you need (not) to do. On the other hand, the purpose of planning is the proper allocation of your mental resources and time during the day.
Many people think that it is important to plan only ‘significant’ events in their lives, and very few understand that they plan their entire lives. You might say now: ‘How can I plan my life when everything is unpredictable?’ Correct. We can take care of everything that is predictable.
In life, we face ups and downs, successes, and failures. Therefore, you can choose between two options. You can simply observe the circumstances of your life, rejoice when everything is okay, and cry and be bitter when you encounter problems – living from day to day, as it comes. The other option is for me as an individual to consciously shape and influence my life. I influence everything I can influence, everything that depends on me, and there is a lot of it. I can also allow events to happen and control what is under my control instead of someone else controlling me and telling me what is good for me.
8. Stay mentally active and use your brain. Never retire it by going into retirement.
Don’t let retirement retire you. If you want to work, work. If you get tired, dedicate yourself to what you love and fulfills you. Thanks to the plasticity of our brain, it heals and grows if used correctly (nourished through mental and physical exercise). This will improve blood flow to the brain, and thus the amount of oxygen and glucose that our brains crave but cannot store, so they rely on constant stimulation.
Through learning or some new experience gained through learning, the brain establishes neural pathways. These are connections established in the brain through learning and exercise. These paths are formed in the brain through learning and practice. Neurons communicate with each other at the site of their meeting on the neural pathway, synapses. Every time new knowledge is gained (through learning, acquiring new skills, and exercise), the synaptic connection or transmission between connected neurons is strengthened.
9. Don’t complain if something hurts you.
If something hurts you or you are sick, the most effective way to overcome pain is through some form of entertainment and positively enjoyable content. Don’t talk constantly about illness. That doesn’t mean you should suppress your feelings. No, let them go, just let the focus be on positive thoughts and content you consume through the media or with people. Ask yourself again: ‘What do I gain by talking, retelling, complaining, and analyzing my illness or if something hurts me?’ Do you know when your child hits or falls, it cries until something else grabs its attention. Then it forgets about the pain. It should be the same with us adults. More laughter and fun, and less crying and complaining.
10. Don’t believe everything your doctor says.
Not everything is as it seems. Be your own doctor because you know your body best. Don’t overload your body with drugs. Discover the causes of illness and work on prevention. Not every diagnosis and prognosis are accurate.
11. Stay active.
To stay healthy and vital, be active, move, walk, don’t use elevators, take the stairs. They cost nothing and can be minimal and everyday useful exercise for your heart and your entire body.
12. Find inspiration.
It doesn’t have to be just reading and writers who inspire you. Enjoy visual arts, theater, music, nature. Socialize with optimistic, positive, and wise people and learn from them.
13. Less is more – don’t hoard material things.
Don’t spend your life collecting material things because you won’t take them with you when you die anyway. We have never been as burdened with material things as we are today. A person has grown up their entire life with the mistaken belief that someone who has little materialistically feels less valuable in this consumer society. Because of such beliefs, we deafen our lives with worthless things, cram our homes with items we used once and may never use again. We constantly strive for something new, wanting to ‘add’ value to ourselves and fill the terrible spiritual void we feel.
This is the monstrous philosophy and lifestyle – it is important to make an impression, not with the intelligence and wisdom of your own being, but by showing off polished ‘clothes,’ gadgets, jewelry, cars, the number of likes and followers…
On that path of false glitter and virtual life, a person has lost themselves. For what? For whom and for what? What will all these things do for you?”
