The surprising job that could be the secret to a longer life: High degree of autonomy

So much for work-life balance.Long hours and high-stress jobs lay waste to our mental health, age us on a cellular level and increase our risk of an early death.But a new study shows that one profession, one that certainly does not shy away from long hours and high stress, could actually do the opposite — help folks live a longer life.Research from the Stevens Institute of Technology suggests that 31 million American entrepreneurs have a 10% lower risk of early death compared to those who spend their careers working for others.“Most people think of entrepreneurship as extremely stressful, and it certainly can be,” said study author Cristiano Bellavitis.“But entrepreneurship also gives people a high degree of autonomy and the opportunity to pursue something they genuinely love or care about.Our findings suggest those benefits may have lasting effects.”Bellavitis’ team looked at more than 20 years of data from over 27,000 Americans aged 50 and older.They found that those who started their own business had a 10% lower risk of premature death, even after accounting for factors like age, income, education and wealth.People who launch their own business invest time and money without any guarantees that they’ll profit in the future.

That’s an immense amount of stress, usually paired with long hours that they don’t know will pay off.Yet Bellavitis says that the personal autonomy of entrepreneurship — the power to forge your own path — plus the belief in the business can outweigh the significant mental strain of stress and isolation.Compared to those who work for others, entrepreneurs reported lower levels of depression and loneliness.Lower rates of these mental health conditions are associated with better health outcomes and greater longevity.Researchers also found that the longevity advantage was strongest among opportunity-driven entrepreneurs — those who launched businesses to serve a gap in the market or pursue an innovation, rather than becomi...