When I decided to take my health seriously, I followed all the popular advice. I hit the gym, stuck to the salad bar at restaurants, and ensured I got at least seven hours of sleep every night.
But something was missing. I was still cemented in the same old thought patterns that had always prevented me from feeling my best.
But you don’t have to make that mistake.
In this article, you’ll learn five tips for a healthy mindset that extends your life and wellbeing.
What is “mindset”?
George Bernard Shaw wrote, “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
Your mindset is how you think about the world. It’s the beliefs, values, and perspectives that influence how you live.
Your mindset is powerful because it impacts your everyday life and wellbeing. And your wellbeing affects your longevity, just like diet and exercise.
So how can you use this invaluable tool to extend your life?
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Mindfulness
Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh believed that “With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment.”
Mindfulness meditation is a breathing practice that shifts your mindset. Initially, it was a Buddhist tool for cultivating desirable emotions like awareness, kindness, and happiness. Now, you’ll hear about mindfulness meditation in many places, from work conferences to your local coffee shop.
Practicing mindfulness alters the brain by increasing grey matter (the “stuff” that processes information in the brain). Research has shown that these brain changes help people feel more positive feelings and manage harmful addictions like smoking.
What’s even more impressive is that research has shown practicing mindfulness meditation may keep your brain youthful for longer by protecting your grey matter from age-related decline.
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Curate a Mindset of Gratitude
Ekhart Tolle wrote, “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
There’s some debate over its exact definition, but in simple terms, gratitude is appreciating what’s good in your life.
Most research has found gratitude to be a positive practice that boosts well-being. For example, one study compared a group of participants who practiced gratitude with participants who journaled about negative or neutral events and feelings. The study found that the group who practiced gratitude had the most improvement to their well-being.
What’s more, gratitude may boost your health in unexpected ways. Research has suggested that gratitude is linked to longer sleep duration and better sleep quality. And that’s something to be thankful for because sleeping too little is bad for your health.
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Write Thank-You Letters
Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”
In addition to practicing gratitude in private, it might be worthwhile to share those positive feelings. But why write thank-you letters?
Writing letters of appreciation to others is one way to let them know you’re grateful for how they’ve impacted your life. But it’s not an entirely selfless act.
One study separated two-hundred-and-ninety-three people undergoing psychotherapy into three groups: a control group that only had psychotherapy, a second group that had psychotherapy and wrote expressively about thoughts, feelings, and stresses, and a third group that had psychotherapy and wrote letters of gratitude.
The researchers found that participants who wrote letters of thanks had better mental health at the end of the study than the control group or the group who wrote expressively. The researchers theorized that the participants were helped by focusing on positive rather than negative emotions.
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Develop Spirituality
Research has connected spirituality with resilience. One study defined spirituality as the “realm of human experience encapsulating an intense awareness of the present; transcendence of the personal self; and/or a feeling of connection with all of life, the Universe or a Supreme Being.”
But how does spirituality affect your life?
The researchers found that spirituality is valuable in older age. Many of the participants who had lived to one hundred were still deeply connected to their spiritual beliefs and continued spiritual practices and rituals as long as possible. What’s more, spirituality provided them with resilience to the changes throughout their lives.
However, it’s crucial to note that spirituality can negatively impact you if it encourages negative feelings like guilt, shame, and judgment. Additionally, some of the positive effects of spirituality may stem from the beneficial lifestyle practices that many spiritual people follow, such as drinking less alcohol or participating in a strong community.
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Build an Optimistic Mindset
Optimism is the mindset of expecting positive things to happen. It’s seeing the “cup half full.” Harvey Mackay wrote, “An optimist understands that life can be a bumpy road, but at least it is leading somewhere. They learn from mistakes and failures, and are not afraid to fail again.”
But why is optimism important?
One decades-long study of more than seventy-thousand people found that optimists generally live longer. The most optimistic participants had an 11 to 15% longer lifespan than average. What’s more, the optimists reached eighty-five years old more often than others.
If you’re more of a pessimist by nature, imagining your best possible self might be a ticket to seeing the sunny side of life.
Conclusion
It’s tempting to focus primarily on your physical health to improve longevity. However, your mindset is a valuable tool for extending your lifespan and well-being.
With that in mind, write thank-you letters, look on the bright side of life when possible, and maybe even find a spiritual practice that suits you.