The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest

by Dan Buettner

LESSON EIGHT STRATEGIES These tips can help you create your family’s Blue Zone. Get closer. Consider living in a smaller house to create an environment of togetherness. A large, spread-out house makes it easier for family members to segment themselves from the group. It’s easier for families to bond and spend time together in a smaller home. If you live in a large home, establish one room where family members gather daily. Establish rituals. Children thrive on rituals; they enjoy repetition. Make one family meal a day sacred. Establish a tradition for a family vacation. Have dinner with Grandma every Tuesday night. Make a point to purposefully celebrate holidays. Create a family shrine. In Okinawan homes, the ancestor shrine is always displayed in the best room in the house. It showcases pictures of deceased loved ones and their important possessions. It serves as a constant reminder that we’re not islands in times but connected to something bigger. We can pick a wall to display pictures of our parents and children, or take annual family pictures and display them in progression. Put family first.