Which personality traits might help you live longer?

1) Being active

This self-descriptor was most linked to a longer life in the 2025 paper (27% lower mortality risk).

Study author and psychologist Professor René Mõttus told The Guardian: “The word ‘active’ was the most striking.

“Participants who described themselves this way were significantly less likely to die during the study period – with a 21% lower risk, even when age, gender and medical conditions were taken into account.” 

2) Being lively

The trait, tied in this study to outgoingness, seemed to be another helpful self-description (12% lower risk) for those hoping to live longer.

“The extraversion items active and lively were related to a lower mortality risk,” the paper reads.

Separate 2017 research linked higher levels of extraversion to a 14% reduction in mortality.

3) Being organised 

The study also found that higher levels of conscientiousness, including describing yourself as organised, were linked to a longer life (14% lower mortality risk).

“Being ‘organised’ might help people stick to routines that improve health, but it may also reflect underlying psychological resilience or social habits that contribute to a longer life,” study author Professor Páraic O’Súilleabháin told The Guardian.

It’s not the only paper to link greater conscientiousness to a longer life, either.

4) Being responsible 

Linked to a 12% lower risk of death in this paper, the term also falls in the “conscientiousness” bracket.

5) Being hardworking 

Those who saw themselves as industrious had a 15% lower risk of mortality, as did those who described themselves as “thorough”. 

One 2016 paper found that those who worked even a year later than retirement age saw an up-to-11% lower risk of death in an 18-year follow-up period.

6) Being helpful 

This personality trait, which fell into the broader category of “agreeableness”, has also been linked to a longer lifespan. 

Another paper found that people who volunteered tended to live longer.