10 things you should do every day to improve your life

10 things you should do every day to improve your life10 things you should do every day to improve your lifeThese are the 10 things that scientific research shows can help improve your life.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more1. Get out in natureYou probably seriously underestimate how important this is. (Actually, theresresearch that says you do.) Being in nature reducesstress, makes you morecreative, improves yourmemoryand may evenmake you a better person.2. ExerciseWe all know how important this is, but few people do it consistently. Other than health benefits too numerous to mention, exercisemakesyousmarter,happier, improvessleep,increases libido andmakes you feel better about your body. A Harvard study that has tracked a group of men for more than 70 years identified it asone of the secrets to a good life.3. Spend time with friends and familyHarvard happiness expertDaniel Gilbe rtidentified this asone of the biggest sources of happiness in our lives. Relationships are worth more than you think (approximately an extra $131,232 a year.) Not feeling socially connected can make youstupider and kill you. Loneliness can lead toheart attack, stroke and diabetes.The longest lived people on the planet all place a strong emphasison social engagementand good relationships are more important to a long lifethan even exercise.Friendsare key toimproving your life.Share good newsand enthusiastically respond when others share good news with you to improve your relationships. Want to instantly be happier? Dosomethingkindfor them.4. Express gratitudeItwillmakeyouhappier.Itwillimproveyourrelationships.It can make you abetter person.It can make life better for everyone around you.5. MeditateMeditation can increasehappiness,meaning in life, social supportandattention spanwhile reducinganger, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Along similar lines, prayer can make you feel better - even if youre not religious.6. Get enough sleepYou cant cheat yourself on sleepand not have it affect you. Being tired actually makes itharder to be happy. Lack of sleep =more likely to get sick. Sleeping on it doesimprove decision making. Lack of sleep can make youmore likely to behave unethically. Thereissuch a thing as beauty sleep.Naps are great too. Napsincrease alertness and wertzuwachson the job,enhance learning abilityandpurge negative emotions while enhancing positive ones.Heres how toimprove your naps.7. Challenge yourselfLearning another languagecan keep your mind sharp.Music lessonsincrease intelligence.Challenging your beliefsstrengthens your mind. Increasing willpower just takesa little effort each dayand itsmore responsible for your success than IQ. Not getting an education or taking advantage of opportunities are two of the things people look back on their lives andregret the most.8. LaughPeople who use humor to cope with stresshave better immune systems, reduced ri sk of heart attack and stroke, experience less pain during dental work and live longer.Laughter should be like adaily vitamin. Just reminiscing about funny moments canimprove your relationship. Humor hasmanybenefits.9. Touch someoneTouching canreduce stress, improveteam performance, and help yoube persuasive. Hugs make youhappier. Sex may help preventheart attacksandcancer, improve yourimmune systemandextend your life.10. Be optimisticOptimism can make youhealthier,happierandextend your life. The Army teaches it in order toincrease mental toughnessin soldiers. Beingoverconfidentimprovesperformance.This article first appeared on Barking Up The Wrong Tree.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally str ong people10 things you should do every day to improve your lifeThese are the 10 things that scientific research shows can help improve your life.1. Get out in natureYou probably seriously underestimate how important this is. (Actually, theresresearch that says you do.) Being in nature reducesstress, makes you morecreative, improves yourmemoryand may evenmake you a better person.2. ExerciseWe all know how important this is, but few people do it consistently. Other than health benefits too numerous to mention, exercisemakesyousmarter,happier, improvessleep,increases libido andmakes you feel better about your body. A Harvard study that has tracked a group of men for more than 70 years identified it asone of the secrets to a good life.3. Spend time with friends and familyHarvard happiness expertDaniel Gilbertidentified this asone of the biggest sources of happiness in our lives. Relationships are worth more than you think (approximately an extra $131,232 a year.) Not feeling socially c onnected can make youstupider and kill you. Loneliness can lead toheart attack, stroke and diabetes.The longest lived people on the planet all place a strong emphasison social engagementand good relationships are more important to a long lifethan even exercise.Friendsare key toimproving your life.Share good newsand enthusiastically respond when others share good news with you to improve your relationships. Want to instantly be happier? Dosomethingkindfor them.4. Express gratitudeItwillmakeyouhappier.Itwillimproveyourrelationships.It can make you abetter person.It can make life better for everyone around you.5. MeditateMeditation can increasehappiness,meaning in life, social supportandattention spanwhile reducinganger, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Along similar lines, prayer can make you feel better - even if youre not religious.6. Get enough sleepYou cant cheat yourself on sleepand not have it affect you. Being tired actually makes itharder to be happy. Lack of sleep =more likel y to get sick. Sleeping on it doesimprove decision making. Lack of sleep can make youmore likely to behave unethically. Thereissuch a thing as beauty sleep.Naps are great too. Napsincrease alertness and performanceon the job,enhance learning abilityandpurge negative emotions while enhancing positive ones.Heres how toimprove your naps.7. Challenge yourselfLearning another languagecan keep your mind sharp.Music lessonsincrease intelligence.Challenging your beliefsstrengthens your mind. Increasing willpower just takesa little effort each dayand itsmore responsible for your success than IQ. Not getting an education or taking advantage of opportunities are two of the things people look back on their lives andregret the most.8. LaughPeople who use humor to cope with stresshave better immune systems, reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, experience less pain during dental work and live longer.Laughter should be like adaily vitamin. Just reminiscing about funny moments canimprove your re lationship. Humor hasmanybenefits.9. Touch someoneTouching canreduce stress, improveteam performance, and help yoube persuasive. Hugs make youhappier. Sex may help preventheart attacksandcancer, improve yourimmune systemandextend your life.10. Be optimisticOptimism can make youhealthier,happierandextend your life. The Army teaches it in order toincrease mental toughnessin soldiers. Beingoverconfidentimprovesperformance.Join over 205,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsLiving a happy life Here are the things proven to make you happierWhich professions have the most psychopaths? The fewest?What is the single most important life lesson older people feel young people need to know?This article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.