About the OUTLOOK Section

A healthy outlook is an important component of longevity. The Okinawans call it Ikigai, and Nicoyans call it “plan de vida,” but in both cultures the phrase means “why I wake up in the morning.”

On BlueZones.com, the OUTLOOK section is where you'll find information on purpose, spirituality, stress-management and other issues related to how you approach living from a healthy perspective. We'll encourage you to learn new skills (keeping your mind sharp), find purposeful activities, and explore your personal mission in life.

We'll also discuss religion and spirituality, and the role that different kinds of faith can play in living longer, better. A recent study in the Journal of Heath and Social Behavior followed 3,617 people for seven and half years and found that those who attended religious services one to three times per month were a third less likely to die during that period. BlueZones isn't a religious organization, but those kinds of findings suggest that even the non-religious among us might learn something from the behaviors of spiritual-centric cultures.