I studied 5 of the world’s healthiest countries—5 things I’m doing to live a longer, happier life

Last year, while doing research for my book, “Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Ensure Longevity.“I visited five of them” healthiest countries in the world – Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Italy and Spain – to see how they keep older adults active, engaged, purposeful and healthy.

I chose these countries because they have some longest healthy life expectancy around the world (in some cases a decade longer than in the US). And none The most ideal environments for aging: For example, Singapore has a hot, crowded and highly competitive working environment. in spain, obesity And smoke Proportions are important. If these countries can succeed, so can we.

One community development center In Kanazawa, Japan, older adults teach, volunteer, run restaurants or just hang out with teenagers and people with Down syndrome. in korea, lifelong learning It is written into the Constitution. Singapore is building an entire “health zone”. Italy benefits from the wisdom and energy of elders through volunteering.

After seeing how these countries are rewriting the rules on aging, here are five things I do to live a longer, happier life.

I spent the first big part of my career managing people producing content. It wasn’t until I was in my 50s that I realized I was much happier telling the stories myself. Over the past decade, I’ve written three books, created my own podcast, published a bi-weekly newsletter, and started a video channel on Instagram called . Great People.

While our society often forces us to make big, deliberate career and life plans in our 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, we generally don’t expect much from people over 60. But looking ahead, I’m excited to continue honing and improving my craft. Because there’s no reason why the next 20 years won’t be as meaningful and meaningful as the last year.

Japan has highest percentage of older workers in the world and many do not work just for money. They do it for purpose, connection, and health. Many work part-time, with flexible schedules or job shares.

While in Japan, I met older adults who worked on candy assembly lines, managed books for a machine tool company, operated parking lots, drove taxis, and guided tours.

The lesson they taught impressed me. As I consider my own future, I plan to continue working, but on my own terms. I will continue to write books and tell stories. But maybe I can’t commit to publishing two newsletters a week forever. And that’s okay. Instead of working full throttle or retiring completely, I can find a middle ground. My goal is to continue working in a way that suits the life I want to lead.

Americans don’t tend to think of intergenerational connection as a public health strategy, but people in the countries I visit see how important it is. Studies around the world have shown benefits of intergenerational relationships such as: increased happiness, a better sense of well-beingAnd improving physical and mental health.

Even in the USA It is defined as one of the societies with the highest age discrimination. There are opportunities for intergenerational collaboration around the world: in the workplace, in neighborhoods, in volunteer settings, in families.

I will proactively find places and events that will connect me with younger generations and choose to develop friendships with people of all ages. In the future, I would consider moving to a place that combines nursing home with preschool, such as Mirabella at Arizona State University or Gorham House in Maine.

Time I spent it with friends While time spent with technology has increased rapidly in the United States, it has also fallen rapidly. It doesn’t have to be this way. I saw with my own eyes what Italians are like. to spend More time at meals and with family, less time online.

This couldn’t be more important. Decades of Harvard research tells us that positive relationships are the key to living a longer, happier, healthier life; Career success is even more important than money, exercise or healthy eating.

My baby steps include being more mindful of phone-free family meals and trying to cut down on the obsessive scrolling of news and Instagram that gets in the way of people talking.

Research has shown that learning supports healthy aging. Many states provide free or low-cost training opportunities to older adults and I plan to benefit from them.

As I think about my next book project, I might sign up for a writing seminar. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Designed to serve older students. Each is affiliated with a university – the closest to me is at American University – and offers a wide variety of courses.

No matter what class I take or what I learn, it will be in person. Because face-to-face interaction maximizes social connection and healthy longevity.

Ken Stern is a nationally recognized expert on longevity and aging. He is the founder Longevity Project and hosts the popular”Century Lives” Podcast on Longevity from the Stanford Center. His latest book Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Ensure Longevity..” He is also the former CEO of NPR.

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