--- description: It's all about being positive title: Research Shows These 5 Simple Things Can Help You Live to 100 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc995d6d15da6c450/69877b01a988ca7a0f6ac01b/100-candles-lighted.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Research Shows These 5 Simple Things Can Help You Live to 100 by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 22, 2015 5:01 AM CUT  Three Candles In The Shape Of The Number 100 Three Candles In The Shape Of The Number 100Getty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 22, 2015 5:01 AM CUT * [Laugh](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-comedy-better-than-vitamins "undefined"). Be [happy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-happier-people-live-longer? "undefined"). Be [optimistic](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-optimism-associated-with-better-health "undefined"). Get enough [sleep](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/why-do-some-people-get-sick-so-often-and-othe "undefined"). Stay [out of debt](https://time.com/nextadvisor/loans/credit-counseling/ "undefined"). * Do not stay at a [boring job](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-a-boring-job-give-you-a-heart-attack "undefined") that [pays badly](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-being-underpaid-give-you-a-heart-attack "undefined"). Have a good relationship [with your boss](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-much-does-your-relationship-with-your-bos "undefined"). Try and [get promoted](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-a-promotion-at-work-save-your-life "undefined"). [Kissing ass](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-ass-kissing-good-for-your-health "undefined") is good for you. [Job insecurity](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-job-insecurity-harm-your-health "undefined") and [unemployment](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-unemployment-kill-you "undefined") are correlated with poor health. * [Connecting with others](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/have-we-got-it-all-wrong-about-what-it-takes "undefined") can be more important than exercise. Spend time [with friends](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-your-social-life-make-you-mentally-an "undefined"). [Loneliness](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-a-common-feeling-that-might-lead-to "undefined") can kill you. [Blaming others](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-blaming-others-make-you-physically-ill "undefined") can make you ill. [Forgive](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-easiest-thing-you-can-do-to-dramati "undefined"). * It’s essential to have [a feeling of control over your life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-important-is-having-a-feeling-of-control "undefined") but you [don’t want to be a perfectionist](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-perfectionism-kill-you "undefined"). * [Kiss](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/an-easy-way-to-lower-your-cholesterol-thats-a "undefined") more. Having more [orgasms](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-orgasms-make-you-live-longer "undefined") might extend your life. (Guys, more orgasms will probably [reduce your chance of prostate cancer](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-most-wonderful-way-a-man-might-be-a "undefined").) **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-little-things-can-help-you-live-to-100/ "undefined")**_._** **Join over 150,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") [6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/ "undefined") [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") _Read next:_ [_14 Timeless Rules to Keep You Sane_](http://time.com/3670080/rules-for-sane-living/?xid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3676485/live-to-100/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3676485/live-to-100/"},"headline":"Research Shows These 5 Simple Things Can Help You Live to 100","datePublished":"2015-01-22T05:01:25.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:08:39.470Z","description":"It's all about being positive","url":"https://time.com/3676485/live-to-100/","keywords":["Psychology","Life","Research","Lifestyle","advice","healthy living"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc995d6d15da6c450/69877b01a988ca7a0f6ac01b/100-candles-lighted.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc995d6d15da6c450/69877b01a988ca7a0f6ac01b/100-candles-lighted.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"100-candles-lighted","caption":"100-candles-lighted","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3676485/live-to-100/","name":"Research Shows These 5 Simple Things Can Help You Live to 100"}}]}] ```