If you feel the years are speeding past you, author Dan Buettner has some ideas on how you can slow things down.

If you feel the years are speeding past you, author Dan Buettner has some ideas on how you can slow things down.

Years ago the National Geographic fellow noticed that in some places people seemed to live a lot longer than in others.

For 12 years, he isolated what he called these ‘blue zones’ and delved into what it was about them that promoted longevity.

In his book The Blue Zones, he highlights many of the things their residents do that could be key factors in stretching their life spans.

For example, people who live in Ikaria, Greece are three times more likely to live to see 90 than are Americans.

In his research, Buettner discovered that napping is popular on the island. Further studies encompassing all Greeks confirmed that those who caught some z’s for at least 30 minutes a day were over 35 percent less likely to die from heart disease.

For those in Okinawa, Japan the key seems to be in the positive relationships they maintain and people in Sardinia walk a lot.

Other tips include moderate drinking, cutting down on meat consumption, and having a purpose each and every day.