6 secrets to borrow from people who live the longest

Loneliness can shave eight years off your life; community and purpose are paramount

Buettner stresses that the beauty of the Blue Zones is not one or two big things, but a “constellation of little things that add up.” Diet is just one part of the picture, while social activity, community and a strong sense of one’s purpose are other integral factors.

“People [in Blue Zones] aren’t waking up in the morning rudderless. They’re driven by life meaning and purpose,” Buettner says. “They’re investing in family, keeping their minds engaged and there’s no existential stress of being worthless in life like so many Americans. The option to be lonely shaves eight years off life expectancy here [in the U.S] but that does not exist in Blue Zones. You can’t walk outside your front door in these regions without bumping into somebody you know, and this is all so much more powerful than we think.”

Humans are extremely social creatures, and from a young age we learn the importance of teamwork and collaboration (for instance, Buettner says, young children who can’t lift a bucket of water on their own will understand that if they together they’ll succeed, whereas a young chimpanzee may not figure this out).

“We’re genetically hardwired to crave social interaction and when you don’t have it, there’s a level of subconscious stress that grates away at you,” he adds.

Walking everyday is so simple and so effective

Three of the five Blue Zones (Okinawa, Ikaria and Sardinia) are located in very narrow, steep regions that didn’t always have access to industrial roads. This element of being tucked away in remote hilltop isolation not only “protected these zones from the corrosive effects of globalization,” Buettner says, it forces people to form tight social connections with one another, and to incorporate a lot of up and downhill walking into their daily routines.

“Walking is one of the best forms of exercises and you can do it without thinking about it,” says Buettner, who encourages people to rely less on cars and more on public transportation so that they have to walk more. He also recommends bringing a dog into your life if you’re struggling to get outdoors much.

“Adopting a dog is really the best Blue Zone strategies there is,” he says. “It’s that perfect nudge to get you walking everyday.”

There’s no magic Blue Zone potion — and that’s kind of the point

Ultimately, the secrets of the Blue Zone are not so secret after all. They each prioritize health and happiness in ways that we’re increasingly learning about and embracing.