A day in the life: Longevity expert Faye Mythen

I wake early but I’ve never liked starting the morning on an adversarial note, so I don’t rely on an alarm, but keep the curtains open so light does most of the work. Once awake I avoid picking up my phone, first drinking water and a coffee by an open window. I like to let the daylight hit my eyes and get some fresh air. It’s probably the highest-yield habit I have.

My morning routine is simple, because I travel constantly and a routine that only works in one bathroom isn’t a routine. Water, light, a short stretch of stillness before anyone needs anything from me, a skincare step and supplements taken with breakfast. Reading the news then focuses my mind.

Remember, laughter and social interaction are as valuable as any pill. That is evidence-based advice

I eat in a broadly Mediterranean way, with a 12-hour fasted window. Food is mostly plants and good protein, but rarely red meat because I prefer fish and chicken. I’m sceptical of extreme protocols, partly because the evidence rarely justifies the theatre, and partly because a life organised around what you can’t have isn’t much of a life. I couldn’t live without well made coffee.

I walk a great deal, counting it as both transport and thinking time. I keep up strength work because it’s the single most sensible investment you can make in your future self. I do Pilates too, but not as frequently as I should.

In terms of recovery tools I’m a believer in heat so the sauna is a regular fixture. I’ve tried the cold plunge and did not enjoy it!

I use an Oura, largely for sleep and recovery signals, treating the data as a trend line, not a verdict. The day a device makes you anxious, it has stopped being useful.

My most underrated tech? A Moccamaster coffee machine and a Pulsetto vagal nerve stimulator!

I use AI as a thinking partner: for drafting, pressure-testing an argument, synthesising research or turning a messy idea into something I can look at.

To manage stress I rely on walking, perspective and delegating to people I trust. I spent my formative years in law and around geopolitics. Few problems in a given week are genuinely as urgent as they feel at 4pm. I need grass under my feet at least once weekly too.

In terms of cognitive enhancers and biohacks, I’m conservative. Coffee is the only nootropic with a track record I fully trust. I’m allergic to elaborate supplement stacks. Most of what people are chasing with a powder is available from sleep and daylight for free.

My go-tos for inspiration and media include The Financial Times and WSJ for the wider picture, and the primary scientific literature when something in longevity is being over-claimed and I want to see the actual study.

The books that shaped me? I’d point to the Stoics, who are unfashionable to cite and still correct, and to good long-form science writing that treats the reader as intelligent.

I try to land the day rather than crash it. In the evening the lights come down, screens go away earlier than people expect, and I read something on paper. It’s a routine that is a series of signals to myself that the working part of the day is over.

To optimise my sleep I prefer a cool, dark room, a consistent wind-down and Reborne’s Good Night magnesium powder blend.

My lifestyle philosophy? Longevity is not a new medicine, it’s a system and attitude. Get the fundamentals right and be sceptical of anything sold as a shortcut. Remember, laughter and social interaction are as valuable as any pill. That is evidence-based advice!

Want to give it a go? Start with the boring, free, high-yield things, because they’re the ones that compound: morning light, a daily walk, protein and plants, and a fixed bedtime. Then monitor your hormones and inflammation and have frequent blood tests.