Harvard Mindfulness Professor: The INSANE Ways Your Thoughts Control Your Health | Dr. Ellen Langer
Rich Roll
Feb 24, 2025
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Engage mindfully instead of relying on good habits
While a good habit is better than a bad one, acting habitually means you are no longer present and in charge, so it's better to be mindfully engaged.
Reframe delayed gratification through mindfulness
The concept of delaying gratification is flawed because it assumes the present task must be unpleasant, when in fact any activity can be made engaging and enjoyable through mindfulness.
Understand faults to empower change
Instead of forgiving yourself for a fault, which implies it's negative, understand the sensible reason you did it, which preserves self-respect and empowers change.
Practice mindfulness by actively noticing new experiences
Mindfulness is not meditation but the simple, active process of noticing new things, which makes you present and is literally and figuratively enlivening.
Recognize fatigue as a mental construct to enhance productivity
We often start to feel tired about two-thirds of the way through a task because our mind is preparing to exit the activity, not because our body is physically spent.
Rethink sleep duration based on daily activities and beliefs
The amount of sleep you need is not a fixed number but depends on your daily activities, and your belief about how much you slept can affect you more than the actual duration.
Reframe thoughts to choose stress response
Events themselves don't cause stress; stress is a product of our thoughts about them, and you can reframe any outcome to find its advantage.
Make decisions right, not perfect for better outcomes
Instead of worrying about making the right decision, focus on making the decision you've made turn out right, as you can never truly know the outcome of the alternative.
Embrace GLADO traits for lasting happiness
A key to happiness is to be GLADO: Generous, Loving, Authentic, Direct, and Open, as each of these traits both results from and leads to mindfulness.
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