Surprising Insights to Living Longer and Happier!

This newsletter is my gift to you, my friend. A gift of science-based insights to help you achieve what you want in this life, without unwanted stress.

Would you like to live longer, be happier and healthier? If your answer is “Heck Yes!” then you are reading the right newsletter!

In this month’s article, I share what I have learned from my studies as well as Dr. Martinez’s research and how you can apply this knowledge to add happiness, health, and (literally) years to your life.?

Several weeks ago, I was watching an amazing interview with Dr. Mario Martinez about the power of words and how it affects your health.?It inspired me to create the topic for this newsletter.

Dr. Martinez is a psycholinguistic neuro-biologist (from his interview) who lectures worldwide on how cultural beliefs affect health and longevity. Even though this topic is familiar, Dr. Martinez had some surprising insights on how words and your mindset affect your health.

NOTE: You can skip ahead by scrolling to the sections that interest you. I have provided an overview of the entire newsletter at the end.

The Snapshot:

In essence, researchers can almost predict how long you will live based on the words you use, your emotional ‘setpoint’, and the cultural associations you have with your lifespan. Below are the key elements to living a happy, healthy, long life - listed in order of importance based on scientific findings.

1 Your Mental Perspective

2. Neuroplasticity?

3. Your Emotional State

4. Your Social Structure

5. Nature and Physical Wellbeing

It usually surprises people to find that exercise and nutrition are near the bottom of the list of important elements to living a long, happy, and healthy life.

While it’s essential to recognize that diet and exercise are important - it is not the most important element. If that were the case, gym memberships would be much more expensive due to high demand! Interestingly, there are a few healthy centenarians alive who drink wine regularly.

As Dr. Martinez mentioned in his interview, living a long life is only worthwhile if you are mentally and physically able to enjoy it. These are the people he has studied to better understand how their mindset, and culture has impacted their longevity.?

Mindset and Health

It’s likely that you already know that mindset plays a key role in your health. It is, however, one thing to ‘know’ this and another to make it actionable. I have read excellent research-backed books on the topic of longevity, such as Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. Dr. Martinez was the first to confirm the link between mindset and longevity.

Self-Perception

Your self view and sense of self worth are the most important elements that will either reduce or add to your healthy lifespan. These are also the two elements that drive how you experience life. Additionally, happiness (fulfillment and sense of purpose) is derived from your world view and how you perceive yourself.?

Thanks to something called your Reticular Activating System (RAS) - your brain filters OUT most of your sensory data. We only process a miniscule amount of data which is filtered in by your RAS based on (surprise!) your world view, bias, and beliefs. This is incredibly important!

Let’s just say you have decided that you will live to be around 85 because that’s about how old your grandparents lived. If this is mentally reinforced or repeated often, this becomes a belief. Beliefs are like operating systems in your brain that drive all of your micro actions.

As a result, you will be less likely to make life choices that support living longer. Subconsciously, your actions will be designed to limit your lifespan to be around 85 years. Genetics are a factor, however, they aren’t the only factor!

Consider whether you have defined an expected lifespan for yourself. Is this what you want? What are words you choose that define yourself?

Having a sense of purpose in life is also critical and often linked to one's self-view. ?In my work, professionals who have no sense of purpose or feel devalued typically suffer from a range of emotional challenges that can lead to health problems.

Those who suffer low self-worth also negatively impact their lifespan. If you don’t like or appreciate yourself, you are inherently less likely to make healthy choices or invest in your own wellbeing.?

To summarize, those who have a balanced sense of self worth, a good sense of purpose, and are fulfilled in what they do tend to live longer.?

Perception of Time

Now that you know your worldview drives your micro actions and your brain filters out information that doesn’t align with your worldview, bias, and beliefs … It's no surprise that your perception of time is also key to living a long life.?

According to Dr. Martinez, researchers have found that cultures who live in ‘brackets’ or have defined milestones (middle age, over the hill, retirement) tend to live shorter lives. Your mental perspective sends signals to the body to either produce or restrict the production of certain chemicals that will either support or inhibit longevity.?

If you identify with being “Over 50” or “Retired” - mentally you are preparing for a life decline. Your body will respond accordingly. In his research, Dr. Martinez found that many centenarians (those who live past 100 years of age) have a very different perspective of time. They see time as a continuum and feel that they “have all the time in the world’.?

Depending on your culture, you may have a scarcity mindset about time. “I never have enough time” is a phrase my clients say often. The problem with this belief is that your brain is designed to find proof to support your convictions and filter out what doesn’t align with your perspective.

Many cultures have what is called a ‘Scarcity Mindset’ about time. If you believe that:

• Time is limited
• There’s not enough time
• Time is running out
• Time is against you

Your brain will find evidence to support your beliefs, further cementing your world view and restricting your perceived options. This also elevates your stress levels and can be linked to anxiety as well as other health related issues.

Can you challenge your perspective of time and allow a more relaxed view? If you have too many things going on at once - what can you let go of? I can personally attest to the value of letting go.

I am known for filling my ‘To Do’ list to the breaking point, which creates stress and anxiety. As soon as I let go of this self-imposed weight: the stress dissolves and I can enjoy life again.

In short: your mental perspective of time determines how you will experience it. Be intentional with your relationship with time (and what you fill it with) to create the outcomes you desire.

Aging or Ageless?

Hand in hand with your perspective and relationship with time - how you view your birthdays each year matter tremendously! I have a friend that keeps referring to herself as “old”. Guess what? She has prematurely developed age-related issues.?

On the other hand, I have friends who have more birthdays than she does and see themselves as ageless. The contrast is dramatic between them and those who see every candle on their birthday cake as a nail in their coffin! Your self-view drives how your body responds to your environment.?

It’s incredibly important to remember that your RAS will filter out information that doesn’t align with your beliefs. Additionally, your brain is seeking information to further cement your world view. Your brain is the command center of your hormonal production. If you believe something, it’s likely that you will create it.

Can you review the words and phrases you use about your age? Do you identify with a cultural ‘bracket’? If so, how does it make you feel? Will you allow yourself to release the ties you have to being a certain ‘age’? Essentially: how you see yourself is how you will be.

Health Perspective

While I believe that everyone needs to see the doctor for certain things, I will admit that I’m not a frequent visitor in the waiting room. Centenarians need to view the medical field with light skepticism and use it for things such as broken bones and stitches as needed. Most don’t take prescription medications. If they do, it is extremely limited. Most also don’t use over the counter medications except in rare circumstances.?

While it might be easy to write this off as genetics, researchers have found that the ‘Placebo Effect’ can work against you.?

To quote Dr. Martinez: “Most people become a patient of chronic aging issues instead of becoming a student of wellness”

Dr. Martinez also noted that patients who were given dire predictions by their doctors (even if they were incorrect or given to the wrong person!) almost always performed in alignment with those predictions.

In his work, he found that centenarians did not lean on the medical field for their main source of health and wellbeing. I applaud the medical profession for the advancements we have made in science. I also believe that no one knows your body better than you do.

Neuroplasticity

In the work that I do, I have found that exercising neuroplasticity is extremely important for longevity - specifically for those that wish to retain agile mental faculties. Neuroplasticity is our ability to engage with and consider new or novel concepts and ways of doing things.?

Your brain is constantly evolving. In order to grow and change, we must use our ability to consider and assimilate new information, new concepts, new ways of thinking and being. If this is restrained, your brain doesn’t have the opportunity to become as agile.?

It’s similar to having a set of muscles you don’t use much. When you need to use them, you will find it more difficult to do. This analogy can be used for neuroplasticity. This is a normal brain function that is critical to maintain. If it’s not used as often, it becomes less easy to do.

Unfortunately, thanks to algorithms, heavy reliance on socially sourced media, and fixed-minded thinking - some people don’t allow themselves to ‘think outside the box’. If you do not consider another’s point of view or challenge your own thinking - it can lead to stagnate thinking.?

Over time, this can make it harder for you to consider new ideas and concepts which are critical to maintaining a healthy mind as you live your life.?

Best practice: challenge your perspective occasionally and give your brain something new to synthesize. Talk to someone that has differing opinions about life. Learn something new or consider what behaviors you would like to change. All of these actions - anything from learning a new skill to developing different habits is important to exercise your ability to be neuroplastic.

Emotions and Longevity

Now that you know that your mindset is the number one driver in longevity, the fact that emotions have a huge impact on your health isn’t shocking. What IS interesting, is what emotions matter the most to help you achieve a long, fulfilling life. How you interact with your emotions matter tremendously as well.

Your Emotional ‘Set Point’

Again, I lean on Dr. Martinez’s research on the topic. In other studies, emotions feature vaguely, however they are not directly studied. In his work, centenarians report feeling the following emotions most commonly. We will call these their emotional ‘set point’.

Gratitude, generosity, admiration, and curiosity are the most important emotions that you can fill your being with.

Science has also found a direct correlation between these emotions and anti-inflammatory and anti-stress states. Yes, emotions have the ability to reduce inflammation in the body. This was surprising and empowering to hear.?

Based on this information, I can conclude that having a frequent Gratitude Practice is incredibly important for health and wellbeing as well as longevity. I can also conclude that having a Growth Mindset, which leads to generous living, is an effective antidote to our Scarcity Mindset culture!

In summary, if you don’t have a Gratitude Practice my friend - start one today! It doesn’t have to be complex. Most gratitude practices are most powerful when done in the early morning upon waking. Your brainwave state is closest to your subconscious mind and any focus work done at this hour is much more impactful.?

Emotional Awareness and Expression

How emotionally aware you are also plays a key role in your happiness quotient (sense of purpose and fulfillment) as well as your health. Researchers have studied cultures that felt it was ‘bad’ to express certain negative emotions, such as anger.?

Emotional suppression is not healthy for the body and creates internal tension. This tension creates stress. Stress elevates your blood sugar levels. Prolonged stress for any reason can create insulin-related health problems. In this study, scientists found that cultures who suppressed emotions also had an increased risk of diabetes.?

In my work, I have found that emotional granularity is correlated with higher levels of fulfillment and healthier expression of emotions. Specifically, the ability to pinpoint issues and resolve them as well as resiliency is key. Emotional granularity is the ability to be highly detailed with the emotions you feel.

For example, instead of saying: “That really irritates me.” You would perhaps be more specific and say: “This situation is a mix of frustration due to inactivity and disappointment”. The ability to become more specific about naming emotions reduces tension about the situation. It better informs the brain how to manage the situation internally and properly identifies the emotional response. In turn, this reduces your stress response and fuels a growth mindset.?

In short: the ability to correctly identify and express emotions healthily is essential to longevity.

Social Connections

It’s well known that humans are social animals and we thrive when we feel connected to a social group that aligns with our core self identity and sense of purpose. Belonging is incredibly important. This need is so strong, in fact, researchers have determined that meeting social expectations is the number one decision maker for any person.?

For those that have studied centenarians, they find a common theme of social connectedness and community. Whether that be from a few close friends or volunteering - being reasonably active socially is critical for longevity.?

In 2020, I researched the impact of social isolation and the findings are alarming. Not only does it severely impact health, it also negatively impacts the brain. Emotional intelligence, emotional stability, and emotional regulation all suffer. In addition, cognitive function declines as a result of social isolation.?

In essence, researchers noted these commonalities in the happy centenarians they studied: having a small close group of friends and being active in a community.

Nature and Wellbeing

Your connection to nature is not the least important part of your health, longevity, and sense of fulfillment. In fact, there is a wealth of information about how things such as gardening or ‘forest bathing’ aids in stress relief and emotional balance.?

This article by Jimmy Kwik has great information about how gardening, for example, positively affects your brain and wellbeing. Interestingly, a 2006 study found that gardening reduced the risk of cognitive decline by as much as 36%.

I know that personally I find gardening to be extremely beneficial for my mood and mental clarity. Gardening helps create serotonin (also known as the ‘happiness hormone’) which is a key hormone in mood stabilization.?

Researchers have found that most centenarians also garden and have concluded that it is a contributing factor to longevity. Our connection to the earth is vitally important for health. Take forest bathing for example; one study found that a leisurely forest walk led to 12 percent lower stress hormone levels versus an urban walk.

Other benefits are decreased blood pressure and heart rate and boosted immune function. Studies have also found that walking in nature improves attention and reduces ADHD symptoms in children, and it has also been associated with increased creativity and problem-solving ability.

Hand in hand with this is our approach to exercise and nutrition. We all know that both of these are vital to longevity and affect our brain function. What we might not realize is that exercise is best done regularly (but not constantly) and in moderation rather than strenuous exercise.?

Optimal nutrition practices varies greatly by region for centenarians. Scientists have found that areas that consume more foods high in antioxidants are more likely to also have people live longer.?

Live Long and Happy!

It’s my hope that you take this information and highlight what is important to you. Scribble something on a sticky note, or maybe take notice of your emotional setpoint each day. While it seems like a lot of information - is actually quite simple.?

What I share with you here is the ‘why’. It is up to you to take the next step. What are your top takeaways from this and what small adjustments do you want to make in your life to live longer and more fulfilled?

To make this easier, I have created an easy snapshot of the most critical elements from this information below.

• Cultivate a balanced sense of self worth, a good sense of purpose, and discover what fulfills you in life. Focus on what you want in life and what you love to do.

• Your mental perspective of time determines how you will experience it. Be intentional with your relationship with time (and what you fill it with) to create the outcomes you desire.

• What is your definition of your presence in time and space? How you see yourself (aging or ageless) is how you will be.

• What can you do to become a “student of wellness” rather than a victim of chronic aging?

• Neuroplasticity: challenge your perspective and give your brain something new to synthesize. New skills, hobbies, ideas, and points of view are vital.

• Gratitude, generosity, admiration, and curiosity are the most important emotions that you can fill your being with.

• The ability to identify and express emotions healthily is essential to longevity.

• Having a small group of close friends and being socially active is essential to health.

• Gardening, forest walking, experiencing nature, moderate exercise and high antioxidant foods are all beneficial.?

Here’s to living long, fulfilling lives friends!

Enjoyed this article? Don't miss last month's article or connect to my Blog here. Each month, I share neuroscience insights to help you thrive and live a happier life!