Conscientious(01 of06)
Open Image ModalIn their 2012 book \"The Longevity Project,\" which looked at research over the course of 80 years, authors Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin identified an association between being conscientious and a longer life span.\n\n\"Conscientiousness, which was the best predictor of longevity when measured in childhood, also turned out to be the best personality predictor of long life when measured in adulthood,\" the authors wrote in their book. \"The young adults who were thrifty, persistent, detail oriented, and responsible lived the longest.\"\n\nWhy do more prudent people tend to live longer? According to the authors, this group is more likely to take care of their health and avoid risks, and they also develop healthier relationships, whether it be romantic, friendly or work-related. \"That\'s right, conscientious people create healthy, long-life pathways for themselves,\" Friedman and Martin wrote.\n\nAnd finally, the researchers point out that some people seem to have a biological predisposition toward a more careful personality. \"While we are not yet sure of the precise physiological reasons,\" they write, \"it appears that conscientious and un- conscientious people have different levels of certain chemicals in their brains, including serotonin.\"\n\nFor more on the phenomenon, and other insights into longevity, check out \"The Longevity Project\" here. (credit:Alamy)
Easy To Laugh(02 of06)
Open Image ModalIn a study published this past May in the journal Aging, researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Yeshiva University pinpointed several personality traits linked to a longer lifespan. Among the list? Frequent laughter, HuffPost reported when the findings were released.\r\n\r\nThis probably relates to the fact that laughing reduces stress and helps to fight illness. Laughing can even help ease pain, leading to a happier life. (credit:Alamy)
Socially Connected(03 of06)
Open Image ModalThank your family and friends for this one: a 2010 study published in the journal PloS Medicine found that strong social relationships can boost survival odds by 50 percent. \n\nThe Brigham Young University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers evaluated 148 studies. \n\n\"We take relationships for granted as humans -- we\'re like fish that don\'t notice the water,\" BYU\'s Timothy Smith said in a statement about the findings. \"That constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health.\" (credit:Alamy)
Optimistic(04 of06)
Open Image ModalThe same 2012 Aging study that identified frequent laughter as a boost to longevity also found that optimism might tack on years to your life. \r\n\r\nOut of the 243 centenarians evaluated in the research, most were optimistic and easygoing, study researcher Dr. Nir Barzilai, M.D., director of Einstein\'s Institute for Aging Research, said in a statement. \r\n\r\n\"When I started working with centenarians, I thought we\'d find that they survived so long in part because they were mean and ornery,\" Dr. Barzilai stated. \"But when we assessed the personalities of these 243 centenarians, we found qualities that clearly reflect a positive attitude towards life.\" (credit:Alamy)
Happy(05 of06)
Open Image ModalDon\'t worry, be happy, live longer? A study published last year in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that older people who report being happy have a 35 percent decreased risk of dying over five years, HuffPost reported when the findings were released. The researchers evaluated more than 3,000 people by monitoring their happiness throughout the day -- they then followed up five years later to see how many had died.\r\n\r\n\"We had expected that we might see a link between how happy people felt over the day and their future mortality, but were struck by how strong the effect was,\" said study author Andrew Steptoe, a professor at University College, London, according to CNN. (credit:Alamy)
Extroverted(06 of06)
Open Image ModalA 2009 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at the offspring of centenarians (other research has found exceptional longevity tends to run in families) -- the volunteers were typically in the high range for extroversion and agreeableness (but in the low range for neuroticism).\n\n\"It\'s likely that the low neuroticism and higher extroversion will confer health benefits for these subjects,\" study author Thomas Perls, M.D., MPH, director of the New England Centenarian Study, said in a statement when the findings were released. \"For example, people who are lower in neuroticism are able to manage or regulate stressful situations more effectively than those with higher neuroticism levels. Similarly, high extroversion levels have been associated with establishing friendships and looking after yourself.\" (credit:Alamy)