100 Ways to Change Your Life summary

Like most people, you probably know what makes you feel healthier and happier – whether that’s getting more regular exercise, quitting drinking, or making time to journal each day – but again, just like most people, you can’t seem to get in the habit of actually, you know, doing it.

Whatever habit you want to set and stick to, try using these science-backed strategies to achieve your goals.

Have you ever watched someone turn their passion project into their main hustle and wished that you could too? Scrolled the social media accounts of artists and innovators sharing their work and felt slightly envious?

When it comes to living happily and well, creativity and imagination are the secret sauce – they give everything a little extra zing. If you’re not pursuing your own creativity, then you’re missing out. But before we talk about how to boost your creativity, let’s talk about why you might be neglecting your creativity in the first place.

Here’s the cold hard truth: you can design your life for happiness but you can’t optimize your way around setbacks. Challenges, disappointments, losses – all of these are inevitable. But just as science offers strategies for inviting happiness and well-being into your life, it also suggests best practices for dealing with the down times.

Banish the stigma around negative emotions – constant happiness isn’t the goal. If you’re not experiencing the full spectrum of emotion, then you’re not engaging fully with life. But sometimes those negative emotions can grow too persistent. If, for example, feelings of anxiety are preventing you from embracing new challenges, it’s time to address them. You might find a quick neurological fix is all you need – try reframing your feelings. Emotions aren’t hard and fast categories – they’re labels you fix to physical and mental sensations. When you feel anxiety, your heart races, your palms sweat, and your breath quickens. What would happen if you labeled those sensations as excitement rather than angst? Your experience would be transformed – you’re not nervous about speaking in public, you’re excited to get your message across. Or, say you’re often overwhelmed with sadness about a loss. That’s totally normal. But if you think you’re spending too much time feeling sad, probe your experience a bit deeper – what else can you find in there? Perhaps you’re also experiencing the bittersweetness of nostalgia or an uplifting sense of gratitude. You don’t have to be happy about your loss – but even in grief, there are shades of subtlety. Choosing to find the bright threads of hope and happiness within your sadness can help you cope.

When you build a wonderful life structured around happiness, well-being, inspiration, and resilience, it makes sense that you want to enjoy that life for as long as possible. So, here are a few science-based strategies for living well, longer.

Have you heard the saying that you only get out what you put in? Well, if you want to get more years out of life, start putting more nutrient-rich foods in your body. When people think about diet they tend to worry about macronutrients – fat, protein, and carbs. But micronutrients – things like selenium, potassium, and vitamin D – are just as important. Micronutrients create ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, which is the fuel that energizes your cells. Without sufficient ATP, your cells don’t function to their full potential. Most people eat, roughly, only two to three pounds of food a day – so it’s crucial to optimize the amount of micronutrients you get in each bite. Ultra-processed foods are stripped of micronutrients, so aim for natural, unprocessed food. Up the nutritional oomph of your meals by sprinkling them with nuts and seeds, and opt for organic, pasture-raised meat. Getting adequate micronutrients will keep your cells – and you – in top condition, for longer.