©Arlene R. Taylor, PhD
www.arlenetaylor.org

Self care is any action you purposefully take to improve your physical, emotional or spiritual well being: getting more rest, eating healthier food, spending more time in thoughtful reflection, being kinder to yourself, smiling more, playing, or engaging in any activity that renews you. By making time for self care, you prepare yourself to be your best so you can share your gifts with the world.
You cannot serve from an empty vessel.
―Eleanor Brownn

Everything starts in your brain. It contains all the secrets of success. You just need to learn how to access and apply them. Following the development of brain imaging equipment, the science of “Brain Function” came into being. Scientists now know more about how the brain works than ever before.

Longevity Lifestyle Matters [LLM], the brain-based lifestyle improvement program, was created and designed to help people prevent what can be prevented and to deal more effectively with what was not or could not be prevented. The LLM program includes 14 components that studies have shown can help people stay healthier and “younger” for longer.  Of course, they all relate back to the brain, where (again) everything starts:

1. Mindset
2. Self-talk
3. Emotional Intelligence
4. Physical activity
5. Mental Stimulation
6. Sufficient Sleep
7. Optimum Hydration
8. Brain-Body Safety
9. Adequate Sunlight
10. Nutrition
11. Laughter and Relaxation
12. Support Network
13. Stress Management
14. Life Satisfaction

Can a person actually stay healthier and “younger” through lifestyle? Blue Zone people are doing it. Centenarians are pulling it off in multiple countries. So are supercentenarians, and you must be at least 110 years old to join that virtual club.

“But 110?” you ask. “Seriously?” 

Well, why not! Studies have shown that, like shooting an arrow, the higher you aim, the greater the distance. 

A longevity lifestyle begins in your brain—and it matters! The authors of the book SuperBrain put it this way:

If you want to know what your thoughts were like in the past, look at your body today. If you want to know what your body will be like in the future, look at your thoughts today… 70 percent of how well and how long you live is in your hands.

You can do it. The challenge is that you only know what you know. If you don’t “know,” study until you do. Then, turn the information into knowledge and consistently apply it on a daily basis for as long as you live. 

There’s only one caveat: no one else can do this for you. Start now. Stay “younger” and healthier for longer. Aim high—as a gift to both yourself and the next generation!