We tend to think of longevity as something we do, yet it’s often shaped by our environment, a dynamic ecosystem of personal, social, and natural spaces that can shape how you age.
Since environmental and lifestyle factors may drive 80% of aging, the way you interact with your bed to your daily walking path can model your biology. Why not help it out?
👀 Quick check-in
If you could redesign one space for longevity, where would you start?
Why spaces hold power
With a few simple and healthy lifestyle habits, studies suggest people can add an extra decade to life expectancy.
Your environment either supports or sabotages this potential. It affects sleep, food choices, movement, air quality, stress, and social connections. Together, these can influence our resilience to aging signals such as inflammation, DNA damage, and oxidative stress.
“The spaces we occupy shape our emotional lives, influence our relationships, and contribute to our overall health.”
As more attention turns to how space affects aging and lifespan, we’ve identified seven key spaces, plus healthy adaptations to each, to leverage for greater well-being.
Dr. Mark Hyman is coming to the Livelong Women’s Health Summit!
At the Livelong Women’s Health Summit on April 17-18, in San Francisco, Dr. Hyman will share the science-backed strategies that are transforming how we approach aging, nutrition, and vitality. Use discount code ERIN to claim your limited-time offer.
Seven spaces that influence longevity
💤 Sleep spaces
You will spend an estimated 33% of your life sleeping. A new study in Sleep Advances suggests it is a stronger predictor of longevity than diet and exercise and relationships, as poor sleep increases the risk of anxiety, depression, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.
Sleep experts suggest designing your space to be quiet, cool, dark, and calm:
🔇 Quiet: Earplugs or noise-cancelling earphones to reduce nighttime disruptions
🆒 Cool: Ideally 65°F, which supports deeper sleep
🌑 Dark: Blackout curtains, eye mask, and phone off and out of reach
🧘♀ Calm: Neutral or darker- colored walls, and nothing in bed but sheets and a pillow
Your sleep environment teaches your nervous system that it’s safe to rest, which tells your body that it’s time to repair.
🍽 Eating/kitchen spaces
Frequent home cooking is linked to greater survival compared to not cooking at home, according to studies. Aim for a kitchen that makes highly nutritious meal prep your default (and aim to share that meal with others, preferably).
Think about the four S’s:
🥦 Stock: Stock the kitchen with whole, unprocessed staples–whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, olive oils, and frozen fruits and vegetables–preferably in see-through glass containers.
👀 Sight: Our eyes eat first. Keep anti-inflammatory foods and spices visible and at eye level.
🫙 Style: Store frequently used tools slightly out of reach to encourage small bends, lifts, and stretches. These micro-movements support strength, balance, and mobility over time.
🤝 Sharing: Create a clean, dedicated space to eat together. Social eating may encourage slower eating, better digestion, greater connection, and greater life satisfaction.
👭 Social spaces
Humans are wired for connection. Strong relationships are one of the strongest predictors of happiness and life expectancy, and are linked to 50% increased survival.
Certain environments make ‘social fitness’ easier to maintain, so where you socialize might be just as important as who you surround yourself with.
☕ Away from home: Think health-first social spaces like parks, coffee shops, barre classes, or massages. Public transportation makes it easier to talk with strangers, while community sports leagues add accountability, purpose, and play.
🏠 At home: Carve out a dedicated space for connection. Keep games and conversation starters accessible to make gatherings engaging and connection-driven.
🚶♀ Movement spaces
The optimal exercise for longevity doesn’t require a gym, but diligent and consistent movement and strength training. Your environment can make fitness more automatic.
Think CAP:
🏋♀️ Cues: Keeping a yoga mat or hand weights visible can remind you to use them. Grab them for quick strength/movement snacks during routine activities to support daily mobility.
🏞 Awe: Move in places that inspire you. Awe boosts dopamine and serotonin while calming the nervous system.
😄 Pleasure: Pair movement with enjoyment, like a podcast or chatting with a friend. Pleasure drives consistency, which cultivates behavioral change and longevity.
🪫 Solitude/recharge space
Rest and recovery are essential for longevity, and could be a major trend for 2026. Whether it’s vagus nerve tools to improve athletic performance or recovery pods that reduce cortisol and increase energy, achieving more is doing less.
Design spaces that help you enter parasympathetic mode can reduce cellular stress and inflammatory oxidation. This might look like:
📖 A reading corner or meditation cushion
📦 Removing clutter
🪴 Houseplants in high-energy spaces
🫖 Rituals – daily tea, journaling, breath work
These micro-environments shift you away from stress by promoting leisure and familiarity.
🌳 Outdoor/nature spaces
A landmark 20-year study shows that adults who spend more time around nature and green spaces have a younger biological age by 2.5 years.
Even passive nature counts: Viewing pictures of nature can reduce cortisol and improve happiness.
Aim to seek green (or blue) space daily, whether it’s a garden, park, houseplant, or water. It hits four pillars of healthy aging: less chronic stress, better sleep quality, movement, and connection.
Better still, gardening adds gentle physical activity while reducing dementia risk by 36%.🌱
☀ Air/light environments
Light tells your brain what time it is, while air feeds your cells. Together, they affect sleep, mood, lung capacity, heart function, and brain aging.
Easy upgrades:
🪟 Open windows when possible
🔥 Use a HEPA purifier if you live near pollution or wildfire-prone areas
🌄 Let in morning light to anchor your circadian rhythm
🔅 Dim lights at night and avoid bright overhead glare
Key takeaway
Your everyday spaces can shape how you age. Simple, intentional shifts can create a longer health span, boost fulfillment, and give you a real sense of control over longevity.
Special announcements!
✉️Ambassador call-out! We’re looking for ambassadors for the Livelong Women’s Health Summit. Head to https://livelongmedia.com/ambassadors to learn how you can get involved and make a difference.
👉 Join the Livelong Women Circle Community: Connect with like-minded individuals taking control of their health journey. 💬🌱
✨Market booth and sponsorships: Meet your clients where they are at the Livelong Women’s Health Summit, April 17-18, San Francisco. See Media Kit.
Ask Liv: We’re proud to announce the launch of LIV, a new AI tool trained on our entire longevity database. Whether it’s the healthiest vegetable or the best longevity retreat destination, start getting your questions answered here.
🌀 Can you hypnotize yourself to live longer?
This week’s episode is exclusively available on the Livelong podcast.
Poll response
We asked, you answered:
What makes you MOST skeptical about longevity advice?
“If someone is trying to sell me something.” As one Livelong reader writes, they don’t trust people who “sell theories.” Another reader, skeptical of conflicting opinions, describes the health landscape as “living in a trust recession.” Here at Livelong, we’re hopefully skeptical… optimistically cautious.
Thanks for taking the time to read today’s newsletter. Stay tuned for more!
Thanks for reading!
The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
