This article is brought to you as part of the ASCAP Wellness Program.

 

You don’t have to be a health nut to care about your longevity. Especially for creators, who work in a vibrant, ever-changing industry where your next great opportunity or creative inspiration could be right around the next corner; there’s nothing wrong with wanting to extend the amount of time you get to spend on this unique path.

 

Recently, the idea of “healthspan” has begun gaining steam as a popular topic in conversations about longevity. More than lifespan – i.e. the duration of your life, including old age – healthspan is the amount of time you’re able to live your best life and fully engage with the activities you enjoy.

 

While healthspan optimization may sound like the domain of tech billionaires and biohackers, the reality is that anyone can work towards this goal. Small, incremental lifestyle adjustments – some to extend your longevity, others to simply avoid unnecessarily cutting it short – can add up over time, if you know what to look for.

 

Here are a few things you can start focusing on today to help ensure you stay as active, healthy and creative as possible, for as long as possible.

Monitor your home’s indoor air quality

Chemicals like radon and carbon monoxide can be detrimental to your current and future health – and even your cognitive function – and their presence isn’t something you’ll necessarily be aware of, says Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS, MCCWC, a Mayo Clinic-certified wellness coach and the author of Wellness by Design: A Room-by-Room Guide to Optimizing Your Home for Health, Fitness, and Happiness. Home air purifiers that filter out these and other harmful particles are widely available, and a simple online search will reveal ample options suited to various room sizes.

 

Create an optimal sleep environment

 

Sleep is a well-established contributor to overall health, and getting quality, restorative sleep has long been tied to increased longevity. For something that we spend so much time doing (ideally, at least seven hours a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) it makes sense to optimize your bedroom for the best sleep possible, Gold says. “Close off work areas, block out blue light sources in the bedroom, add blackout window coverings if possible and adjust the temperature for comfort,” she says. “Couples with incompatible inner thermostats can also layer bedding to meet their individual preferences.”

+ The Benefits of Quality Sleep for Creators (And How to Get More of It)

Eliminate trip hazards in your home

 

This may seem like a given, but have you ever thought about physical hazards that could trip you up in your own home? Falls at home can – and often do – land adults in the hospital, Gold says. Again, we’re not just talking about lifespan, but rather your ability to live your life fully with as few limitations as possible, including injuries and resulting mobility issues. Fortunately, this is another area where you can take steps to minimize your risk. “Moving pet bowls, securing rug corners, relocating power cords, adding grab bars to tub or shower entries, and adding night lights between the bed and bathroom can all help prevent a painful accident,” Gold says.

Reduce stress wherever possible – including your space

 

Compounding research has revealed a strong correlation between stress and life expectancy. There are always going to be things that stress us out. But while many stressors are out of our control, there is a lot you can do to reduce stress associated with variables that are within your reach, even passively. According to Gold, lifestyle design is a key area of extending healthspan. As such, decluttering your living and work spaces can be a game changer for reducing stress and increasing life satisfaction among adults. “The pandemic, which drove millions of Americans home in 2020, has also made many appreciate the relationship between their health and their housing,” she says.

+ 7 Ways Music Can Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Add plantlife to your environment

 

Not only can adding plants to your home make your living space seem more colorful, calm and serene, but it can actually support your mission to live a longer, healthier life in more ways than one. The mere presence of nature has been shown to offer significant longevity benefits, and a NASA study found that houseplants can help improve a home’s indoor air quality by eliminating harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene from the air. To maximize these benefits while also improving the overall ambience of your home, Gold recommends adding plants to your living and work spaces and even arranging seating to enable you to take advantage of natural views surrounding your home.

Move your body

 

An abundance of research supports the notion that regular exercise can help to extend your life through a multitude of mechanisms, from improving mood and outlook on life to reducing the risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Since exercise is something you can easily do at home or outdoors, and by using nothing more than your body weight, it may just be the most simultaneously impactful and accessible tactic on this list. “You don’t need a home gym or fancy equipment,” Gold says. “For me, it’s a framed vintage poster of Mt. Whitney to remind me to train for my next hiking adventure. Anyone can get the movement needed to keep your body stronger and healthier for longer.”

+ How Running Can Help Creators Boost Creativity, Mood and More

Reduce your home fire risk

 

As with improving air quality and reducing fall hazards, a legitimate component of healthspan extension involves reducing unforced errors that could be costly to your health. A home fire is one of those things that may seem like a distant concern but is actually more common than most people think; an average of 358,500 homes experience a structural fire each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Reducing your home fire risk can be achieved in several ways, says Gold, including never overloading outlets or leaving candles unattended, having a fire extinguisher or fire blanket near your stove and outdoor grill, replacing your gas cooking appliance with an induction model if possible and having your fireplace serviced on a regular basis.

Limit your meat intake

 

Recent studies have suggested that reducing meat consumption could have a significant impact on longevity, and that the earlier positive dietary changes are made, the greater the effect. Moreover, as Harvard researchers point out, not only is a diet rich in red meat linked to early death, but it can also be a predictor of other lifestyle-inhibiting health problems. While you don’t need to go full-on vegan to reap the rewards of a meatless diet, this is one of those areas where every bit counts. Choosing to go “meatless” on certain days of the week is a good place to start. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan recipe blogs and cookbooks out there, and by exploring this new world, you can feel good knowing you’re expanding not just your healthspan but your palate, too.

 

+ 8 Foods That Fuel Creativity, Brainpower, Energy and More

Don’t smoke

 

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. The dangerous potential effects of tobacco and secondhand smoke are no secret, and include conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the CDC. In terms of longevity, life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers, according to CDC data. However, the CDC also notes that ditching the habit before the age of 40 can reduce the risk of dying from smoking-related causes by approximately 90%. If you’re interested in quitting smoking, check out one of the many community smoking cessation programs, such as QuitAssist.

Limit alcohol intake

 

It is common for music creators to find themselves in situations where alcohol is available. While it’s fine to occasionally unwind and indulge, it’s worth noting that, despite the widely held belief that moderate alcohol consumption can be beneficial for heart health, alcohol consumption of any amount can reduce life expectancy, as was recently confirmed in research out of the University of Cambridge. If you don’t want to completely give up booze, limiting yourself to just one or two drinks, only occasionally and ideally just in social situations, can play a part in extending your longevity. It’s all about the small changes that add up in the long run, says Gold.