There are many secrets out there to living a long life, but this woman has six that she's lived by for decades. Jayne Burns recently celebrated her 101st birthday. And the wild thing is, she still drives and she still works a regular 9-to-5 at a Joann fabric store in Mason, Ohio. She has been employed there for the last 25 years, and has never made the decision to retire, even though she's at the age where she definitely could.
So what's her secret? Well lucky for you, she shared her simple tips for living a long life.
Her first tip is that living a long life isn't based on good genes. She says longevity doesn't run in her family, as Jayne's mother died of an aneurysm in her 40s and her father died at 65. “So I don’t know what it is, but I’m still here,” she said. “I wish I knew what it was.”
Her second tip is to eat in moderation. The 101-year-old woman shared that she eats a little bit of everything, from meat and bacon to butter. And even though she used to watch her sugar intake, she doesn't anymore. She just eats everything in moderation.
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Jayne's third tip is an obvious one: stay active. No one gets anywhere in life by being a couch potato. “I was always active all my life doing things. So I think that has helped more than anything," she shared, adding that she's bowled, played golf, and exercised regularly.
Her fourth tip is to keep going, even when your health gets in your way. Jayne was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1995 and had surgery to have part of her colon removed. But other than that, she hasn't had many health issues. As of now, the most she deals with is arthritis in her hands and knees. “I really don’t notice that I’m any older,” she shared. “I just can’t get around as much.”
Jayne's fifth piece of advice is to take care of your skin and your body. “I use a moisturizer and makeup," she explained. "I figured I did it all my life, so I’m not going to stop now."
And the final and sixth simple key to living a long life? Have a community. “I just like to be around other people,” she said. “Most of them are very friendly.”
And the one thing she says all of her jobs has had in common over the years is nice coworkers. She has made lots of friends through her work, including many who are decades younger than she is.
“You’ve got to keep moving and not sit around the house all day,” she said. “I just like working and I like working with people." So will you take these tips and live by them? Because maybe, you too, can live a long life, just like Jayne.
