research backed ways to aging well

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Do Something Each Day That Makes You Feel Healthy

The research: Out of 65 different risk factors linked to early death, people's thoughts on how healthy they felt (also known as subjective health) was one of the strongest predictors of their actual risk of death, according to a study in Psychological Science. The healthier they felt, the longer they lived. Of course, actually being healthy was also important, but the researchers say they were surprised by how big of an effect subjective health had.

What you can do: This study is all the more reason to make choices that make you feel healthier, whether that's going for a midday walk, choosing seltzer over soda or getting to bed at a reasonable hour. They could help motivate you to continue making good choices.