For the last two years, my colleague Renée Onque has been covering what makes for a happier, longer life. This week, she did the hard work of distilling dozens of interviews and studies into five actionable tips youcan implement today. 

1 Eat a healthy diet. This doesn’t mean eating to lose weight. Super-agers pack their diets with legumes, nuts, grains and vegetables, and they tend to avoid red meat. 

2 Move your body often. Build physical activity into your everyday life. Maybe you walk to the grocery store instead of driving, or ask a friend to take a stroll instead of to grab a drink. 

3 Believe in something. Whether it’s a religion or life philosophy, those who have faith in something tend to live longer.

4 Maintain positive relationships. Spending time around people you enjoy can actually make you happier and extend your life, according to an 86-year Harvard study. 

5 Prioritize lifelong learning. Stay busy by practicing a new skill or hobby regularly. 

These directives seem obvious, but I realized sometimes I do literally none of them. I often have days where I haven’t engaged in one fun conversation with a friend or taken the time to walk around my neighborhood block. 

Reading Renee’s piece reminded me that just because something is easy to do doesn’t mean you don’t have to put effort into doing it – and it’s important to not let the simple things slip your mind.

CNBC