Practice thinking kind thoughts about people, especially when you might otherwise judge, to introduce empathy and change your perspective, making kindness your default response. This practice can lead to significant personal growth and a gentler, more compassionate demeanor.
Engage in loving-kindness meditation by repeating phrases like “May you be happy, may you be well, may you be safe, may you be at peace” for yourself, loved ones, difficult people, and all life. This practice generates a system-wide anti-inflammatory effect, improves vagal tone, and can slow biological aging by preventing telomere loss.
Dedicate five minutes daily to mental health (e.g., breathing, journaling, creativity), five minutes to physical health (e.g., movement, exercise), and five minutes to heart health (e.g., connecting with others, acts of kindness). This holistic framework improves overall well-being and resilience.
Perform a different act of kindness each day for seven days, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone at least once, and ensuring one act is completely anonymous. This challenge cultivates kindness, boosts self-esteem, and creates a ripple effect of positivity.
For healthcare professionals, focus on developing the ability to connect and communicate deeply with patients. This empathy can significantly improve patients’ immune response and recovery rates, making them 50% faster in some cases.
Actively visualize physical movements or desired outcomes, focusing on the sensory experience and how your body feels. This technique, used by top athletes and in stroke rehabilitation, wires the brain as if the action is real, leading to improved skill, confidence, and faster recovery.
Dedicate 15-20 minutes daily for four consecutive days to write continuously about emotional trauma, anger, or hurt, outlining what happened, how you felt, and its impact. This “expressive writing” can release pent-up emotions, improve immune response, and reduce the need for medical visits.
Spend time interacting warmly and playfully with a pet, such as a dog, including frequent eye contact and physical affection. This bonding generates oxytocin, which has significant cardiovascular benefits, reducing the chances of a second heart attack by 400% in dog owners.
Actively engage in behaviors like generosity, kindness, compassion, and empathy to generate feelings of warmth and connection. These feelings produce oxytocin, a cardio-protective hormone that reduces blood pressure and acts as a physiological opposite to stress.
Introduce a gratitude game during family dinner, where everyone answers questions like “What have I done today to make someone else happy?”, “What has someone else done to make me happy?”, and “What have I learned today?”. This practice changes mealtime dynamics, fosters connection, and helps children notice the positive feelings associated with kindness.
Seek out and watch inspiring videos or films that evoke strong positive emotions, such as care, compassion, or upliftment. This can boost your immune system (e.g., increasing SIGA levels by 50%) and produce oxytocin, the kindness hormone.
Instead of holding onto anger and frustration, find safe outlets for expression, such as writing an email to the person you’re angry with but not sending it. This act of processing emotions can prevent negative physical consequences like increased blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.
When feeling momentary stress, get up and move your body at an artificially slow pace, and even talk slowly. This physical action can signal relaxation to your brain, helping to reduce stress by leveraging the two-way connection between physical expression and emotion.
If you struggle with food cravings or want to eat less, try vividly imagining eating the desired food or a healthy meal. Research suggests that imagining eating can activate the “I’m full” part of the brain and suppress appetite.
If you find it challenging to meet your nutritional needs from food alone, consider taking Athletic Greens each morning as a nutrient-dense whole food supplement. A special offer for listeners provides a free travel pack with the first order at athleticgreens.com/livemore.
Explore Vivo Barefoot shoes for daily wear, as they are minimalist and can be beneficial for general mobility and for alleviating back, hip, and knee pain. A 20% discount and a 100-day trial are available for podcast listeners at vivobarefoot.com/livemore.
Listen to the bonus episode on managing anxiety in a global pandemic for practical tips, and share it with others in your network who may benefit.
Don’t shy away from starting new physical activities, even in your mid-40s or later, as exemplified by taking up tennis and progressing through leagues.