Lessons for living longer from the people who've lived the longest --Lesson 6: Down Shift

Take time to relieve stress

Lesson six strategies

Reduce the noise

Minimizing time spent with television, radio, and the internet can help redce the amount of aural clutter in your life. Rid your home of as many TVs and radios as possible, or limit them to just one room. Most electronic entertainment just feeds mind chatter and works counter to the notion of slowing down.

Be early

Plan to arrive 15 minutes early to every appointment. This one practice minimizes the stress that arises from traffic, getting lost, or underestimating travel time, It allows you to slow down and docus before a meeting or event.

Meditate

Create a space in your home that is quiet, not too hot and not too cold, not too dark and not too light. Furnish the space with a meditation cushion or chair. Establish a regular meditation schedule, and try to meditate every day no matter what(but also not stressing out if you fail to do so). Start with 10 minutes a day, and try to work up to 30 minutes a day. Try to meditate with others occasionally.