Take a chill pill if you want to live longer

At one point in my life I was a sweat the details kind of guy. Little things would get my blood boiling. Working away at Microsoft led me to prioritize what I worried about and lots of little things fell by the wayside. I felt happier after I let those things go and now that I read this I'm even happier. Aside from being more carefree maybe I'm adding years on to my life too.

That's because being affable and more social confers health benefits, according to lead study author Thomas Perls, director of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University Medical Center.

It may be that less neurotic people are better able to manage or regulate stressful situations than the highly neurotic, Perls said.

Though many aspects of our personalities are already set by our genes, Buettner said, we can all make lifestyle improvements to help us live longer.

For one, becoming more extroverted—and by extension widening our social networks—can be cultivated and trained, Buettner said.

Also high on his list is eating a plant-based diet—"the more meat you eat, the quicker you die," he said.

And having a clear sense of purpose in your life, he added, is worth seven years of life expectancy.

Study leader Perls added that numerous strategies exist to deal with stress, such as exercising, meditation, or just taking a "nice deep breath."

"It's a matter of setting aside the time and effort to effectively manage your stress well," he said. "One of the keys is to realize how important it is to do that."

Want to Live Longer? Stop Worrying