In 2024 longevity and healthy aging were among the top health trends (Global Wellness Institute and McKinsey & Company) suggesting a definite shift towards proactive health and wellness strategies.
One of the year’s best sellers, Dr. Peter Attia’s The Art and Science of Longevity addresses the question of how we can live longer. He stresses that it isn’t just about living longer – it’s about making sure those extra years are worth living. It’s about feeling strong, capable, and independent for as long as possible.
The key message? Don’t wait until something goes wrong to start taking care of yourself. Instead, focus on prevention and building healthy habits now, so you’re ready for whatever the future throws your way. Let’s highlight a few of the areas that we can improve and make a significant difference to our future health.
Sleep: The Secret Weapon
Let’s start with sleep, because Attia makes it clear this is where everything begins. Sleep isn’t just about rest – it’s about repair. Poor sleep messes with everything: your metabolism, your immune system, your brain, and even your risk of serious diseases like Alzheimer’s. Attia dives into the science of sleep cycles and explains how deep sleep and REM are like your body’s maintenance crew, fixing what needs fixing while you’re out cold.
He has simple, practical tips: stick to a sleep schedule, keep your bedroom cool and dark, and cut back on screens before bed. It’s not about obsessing over 8 hours – it’s about making sure the hours you do get are high quality. Because when your sleep is solid, everything else falls into place.
Exercise: It’s About What You Can Do, Not How You Look
Exercise isn’t just for looking good in the mirror (though, admittedly that’s a bonus). Attia reframes it as a way to future-proof your body. Think about being able to carry your groceries, climb stairs, or keep up with your grandkids when you’re older – that’s what you’re training for. He calls it the “centenarian decathlon,” and it’s about preparing now for the kind of life you want to lead decades from now.
His approach focuses on three types of movement: aerobic (for your heart and stamina), strength training (for muscle and bones), and mobility/stability (to avoid injuries and keep your balance). The latter has often been neglected in the literature. The key isn’t doing some crazy intense workout every day—it’s consistency. Small, regular steps can make a huge difference. And the good news? It’s never too late to start.
Nutrition: No One-Size-Fits-All
When it comes to food, Attia doesn’t push one specific diet. He’s not about keto vs. paleo vs. vegan. Instead, he emphasises understanding how different foods affect your body and making choices that work for you. He talks a lot about managing blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and focusing on nutrient-dense whole foods. Fasting also plays a role—not just for weight control but for helping your cells clean up and repair themselves (a process called autophagy).
Attia’s take-home message? Forget fads. Pay attention to how your body feels and functions with what you’re eating. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress.
Mental Health: Don’t Overlook It
Here’s where Attia goes beyond the usual health advice. He talks about mental health as a critical piece of the longevity puzzle. Stress, he explains, isn’t just an emotional thing – it can wreak havoc on your body, too, contributing to inflammation and disease. Managing it is non-negotiable.
Whether it’s mindfulness, therapy, or simply connecting with people who make you feel good, Attia emphasises taking care of your mind as much as your body. Because what’s the point of living longer if you’re not happy and at peace?
Prevention: Catching Problems Early
Attia’s whole philosophy is rooted in prevention. Most of us don’t think about our health until something goes wrong, but he flips that on its head. He’s all about regular check-ups and using tools like advanced bloodwork or scans to catch potential problems early – before they have a chance to derail your life. It’s not about being paranoid; it’s about being smart.
Longevity as a Lifestyle
The big takeaway from the book is that longevity isn’t about quick fixes. It’s a long-term game. Attia gives you a blueprint to build habits that support your health – not just for a year or two but for decades to come. He doesn’t sugarcoat it: it takes effort. But the payoff? A future where you’re not just alive, but living fully.
In the end, The Art and Science of Longevity is more than a health guide—it’s a mindset shift. It’s about seeing your daily choices as investments in your future self. Whether it’s improving your sleep, getting stronger, eating better, or managing stress, every little change adds up. And it’s not about being perfect. It’s about starting where you are and doing what you can.
There is another important aspect of aging well mentally and that is how we view the future and also the past. In The Myths of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky takes a deep dive into aging – something we all think about eventually, whether we want to or not. She’s not here to sugarcoat it, but she does challenge a lot of the myths and worries that can weigh us down as we get older. And honestly? It’s pretty refreshing.
Rethinking the “Decline Narrative”
Firstly, that nagging idea that aging means life is all downhill. We’ve been conditioned to think the later years are just about decline – less energy, fewer opportunities, more limitations. But Lyubomirsky calls this out as one of the biggest misconceptions. Yes, aging brings challenges, but it also brings unexpected positives, like a better handle on your emotions, stronger relationships, and a deeper sense of what really matters.
Research shows that older adults are often happier than younger ones—yep, happier! It turns out that as we age, we get better at focusing on the good stuff and letting go of the petty things that used to stress us out. That shift in mindset can be a huge gift.
Letting Go of “The Best Years of Your Life”
One myth Lyubomirsky really digs into is this idea that the “best years” are behind us. Maybe it’s your 20s, your career peak, or some other golden age you’ve built up in your mind. But clinging to that belief can create a lot of unnecessary regret and sadness as life moves on.
The truth? Every stage of life has its own unique joys. Lyubomirsky encourages us to let go of this idea that happiness is tied to a specific time in our lives and instead focus on what the current stage has to offer. Aging isn’t the end of happiness – it’s just a new chapter.
Priorities, Perspective, and What Really Matters
One of the best things about getting older, she says, is how your perspective shifts. You realize time is limited, which sounds scary at first, but it actually helps you zero in on what’s truly important. It’s like a built-in filter for life. You stop wasting energy on trivial things and invest more in what makes you feel fulfilled – relationships, meaningful activities, and the little moments that bring you joy.
This ties into something called socioemotional selectivity theory, which basically says that as we sense our time is finite, we become more intentional about how we spend it. Instead of chasing every opportunity or stressing about things that don’t matter, we focus on what fills us up. It’s a bit of a superpower that comes with age.
Resilience: The Underrated Strength
Another surprising point she makes is how resilient older adults can be. We tend to assume that things like retirement, illness, or physical decline will wreck our happiness, but the reality is we’re often much tougher than we think. There’s this thing called the impact bias, where we overestimate how bad things will feel and underestimate our ability to adapt. Lyubomirsky shows that, time and again, older adults find ways to cope and thrive despite challenges.
So while aging isn’t always smooth sailing, it’s not the doomsday scenario we sometimes imagine.
Finding Purpose and Meaning
Lyubomirsky also talks a lot about the importance of having a sense of purpose as we age. And no, it doesn’t have to be something huge like saving the planet. It can be as simple as nurturing relationships, helping others, or finding joy in hobbies. Purpose is one of the biggest drivers of happiness, no matter your age, but it becomes especially important as you get older.
The key is to actively look for purpose in your everyday life, instead of waiting for it to magically appear. It’s those small, intentional moments that add up.
Gratitude and Savouring
Another piece of the puzzle is gratitude – something that can make a huge difference as we age. Lyubomirsky encourages us to focus on appreciating what we have, whether it’s our health, time with loved ones, or even just the little pleasures of life. Savouring those moments, instead of taking them for granted, can help us stay grounded and happy in the present.
Challenging the Fallacies
In the end, Lyubomirsky pushes us to rethink the stories we tell ourselves about aging, like:
- “My best years are behind me.”
- “Life will only get harder from here.”
- “I can’t be as happy as I was when I was younger.”
Instead of buying into these myths, she invites us to see aging for what it really is: a chance to grow, reflect, and live more intentionally. Sure, there are losses, but there’s also freedom—freedom to focus on what matters and enjoy the life you’ve built.
Final Thoughts
The message in this final chapter of the book is simple but powerful: aging doesn’t have to be scary or sad. It’s not the end of happiness—it’s just different. If we let go of the myths about what aging is “supposed” to be and embrace the opportunities it brings, we can find joy, meaning, and peace in every stage of life. It’s about shifting your mindset, being kind to yourself, and appreciating the years you’ve got—because they all have something to offer.
So what can we learn from these two wonderful publications. Life at any age is better when you feel good in your body and your mind. And isn’t that what we’re all aiming for?
References:
Dr. Peter Attia’s The Science and Art of Longevity:
- Attia, P., & Gifford, B. (2023). Outlive: The science and art of longevity. Harmony Books.
Sonja Lyubomirsky’s The Myths of Happiness:
- Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). The myths of happiness: What should make you happy, but doesn’t, what shouldn’t make you happy, but does. Penguin Press.
Global Wellness Institute Report:
- Global Wellness Institute. (2024). Global wellness trends report 2024. Retrieved from. https://www.globalwellnesssummitom
McKinsey & Company Report:
- McKinsey & Company. (2024). The trends defining the $1.8 trillion global wellness market in 2024. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com
