Living longer isn’t necessarily about doing more. As longevity expert Azra Alagic explains, small, consistent changes to the way we think, move and care for ourselves can make a lasting difference. In this edited extract from her book Biohack-Her – Live Well Longer, she shares four simple steps towards building healthier habits that stick.

After diving deep into the science of ageing and talking to women from all walks of life, I’ve learned that longevity isn’t about waiting around for some magical anti-ageing pill. It’s about the little things. The repeatable rituals. The conscious choices we make every day that build up like compound interest.

If you’ve read Atomic Habits by James Clear, you’ll know that real change doesn’t come from overhauling your entire life in one go. It comes from tiny tweaks that align with the person you want to become.

To support you in shifting to a longevity mindset, I’ve created the Longevity Habits Model, which helps you shift those habits incrementally.

Stage 1: Identity first – who do you want to be?

Before we even touch a to-do list or write a single habit, we need to start with the real question. Who are you becoming?

This is where women often get tripped up. We’re so used to being in service to everyone else that we forget to define who we are for ourselves. But when it comes to longevity, identity is your power source.

  • Don’t say, “I want to drink more water.” Say, “I’m a woman who nourishes her body deeply.”
  • Don’t say, “I should walk more.” Say, “I’m someone who chooses movement because I want to stay agile, not aching, at ninety.”

This is about shifting your self-concept to someone who prioritises her future self.

Stage 2: Make it mindful – align with your values

Habits don’t stick unless they mean something. Instead of blindly copying what some twenty-five-year-old on TikTok is doing with her supplement stack, ask:

  • What habits genuinely align with my values?
  • What matters to me, not what’s trending?

If your goal is better brain health, maybe it’s not just about a daily crossword – it could be about learning a new language because you value travel and cultural connection.

If you want glowing skin, maybe it’s not just skincare, but also stress reduction because your skin flares when you’re overwhelmed.

Stage 3: Tiny but true – start smaller than you think

This is the part where we often blow it. We decide we’re going to overhaul everything: eat clean, go paleo, cut wine, walk ten thousand steps, meditate, journal, sleep eight hours and do it all by Monday.

No. Just no.

Here’s what actually works: Start. Stupid. Small.

  • One glass of water before coffee.
  • One deep breath before you check your phone.
  • One five-minute walk in bare feet.

These tiny cues begin to rewire your brain. You prove to yourself that you’re someone who takes care of her health. And that identity? That’s what creates momentum.

Here are some longevity starter habits:

  • I do squats while I brush my teeth. (My husband thinks I’m super weird when I do this!)
  • I sip green tea while reading instead of scrolling.
  • I put magnesium cream on before bed while listening to binaural beats.

These are small but sticky. They’re habits that stack on top of what you already do.

Habits aren’t created from pressure – they’re created from patterns. So, we stop aiming for perfection, and we start focusing on rhythm.

This means designing your habits to fit into the flow of your day, rather than wedging them in like an awkward gym date you don’t really want to go on.

Try habit pairing:

  • After I get out of bed, I stretch for three minutes.
  • While my tea is brewing, I breathe slowly for ten rounds.
  • After I shower, I dry brush for sixty seconds.

By anchoring new habits to familiar ones, your brain thinks, Oh, we’re doing this now. And because it doesn’t require decision-making, it becomes effortless over time.

Stage 4: Make it feminine – let it flow without force

Women do things with feeling, beauty and flow. I make choices based on how I’m feeling at any given time.

For example, I love making things beautiful. One of my hobbies is interior design. When I’m surrounded by things I love, it touches something in my heart and makes me feel all warm and fluffy inside, like curling up in front of a fireplace with a cup of herbal tea and a good book.

We’re also cyclical beings. Unlike men, our energy, mood, focus and physical needs shift over the month. So trying to do the same thing, the same way, every single day? It’s going to fail – because it wasn’t designed for you.

Instead, design your habits to ebb and flow.

Maybe your follicular phase is for new things such as starting a new supplement or routine. Ovulation might be for movement or creativity. Luteal phase? Ease back, go inwards, honour rest.

Cycle-aligned longevity is the future. And yes, there’s science to back this. Research published in Frontiers in Endocrinology suggests that aligning behaviour with your menstrual cycle can shape mood, motivation and exercise adherence.

You’re not lazy if you can’t do the same workout every day. You’re just in tune with your biology.

Edited extract from Biohack-Her – Live Well Longer (Kind Press, $34.95). Author Azra Alagic is one of Australia’s leading female biohackers and the founder of Biohackher, a fast-growing longevity brand helping women extend their healthspan through science-backed strategies. A behaviour change specialist, integrative nutrition health coach, speaker and podcast host, Azra’s mission is to help women live well for longer through personalised biohacking. Find out more at www.biohack-her.com.