Time management is a big topic these days. We all want to get more done and in less time. At first glance this would seem a likely contender as the reason so many people are stressed and anxious. But it also might be one aspect of life allowing us to live longer. Like many things, the key is balance.

Stress is usually thought of as a negative thing, and it is, but only when it is prolonged and excessive. In small amounts stress can sharpen our focus and amplify our motivation. It’s a common belief that people in old age that have a purpose, they have something that drives them to keep working, live longer. Those that decide they’ve done enough, and sit back and coast, are often those that leave this world earlier. Might our productive lives increase our longevity?

All that hustling may translate into superior brain power as you get older, as a study finds that the busiest people perform best on cognitive tests.

Sara Festini, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas, Dallas, and her adviser, Denise Park, published the study in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience on Tuesday. They tested over 300 people between the ages of 50 and 89 on cognitive functions including memory, reasoning and mental quickness.

It’s possible, the researchers hypothesized, that the daily workout of completing task after task is building our brains up and improving mental skills. That performance gap between the busy and the free seemed to be wider among older participants too, “which is particularly exciting,” Park says.

While biting off more than you can chew can send this balance in the wrong direction, clearly getting yourself busy and active into old age can be beneficial. Check out the full post for more details.

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