Meditate for 40 minutes a day for at least 8 weeks to increase brain volume in regions associated with learning, memory, and empathy, while decreasing amygdala activity and stress hormone levels, thereby slowing brain and biological aging by preserving telomere length.
Engage in meditation to cultivate mindfulness, focusing thoughts and emotions on the present moment, which is shown to decrease ruminative thoughts and distraction, thereby reducing chronic stress and its negative effects.
Use mindfulness to understand your own intentions and extend this understanding to others’ actions, which promotes empathy, compassion, and forgiveness, reducing irritation, anger, and frustration, and can be specifically practiced through compassion meditation.
Consistently focus on eating a good diet rich in micronutrients and fiber, getting plenty of exercise, and ensuring good sleep to improve physical and mental performance and extend your health span.
Incorporate beneficial stressors like exercise, sauna use, cryotherapy, ice baths, and plant polyphenols into your routine to activate the body’s stress response mechanisms, building stress resistance and retarding aging.
Push yourself slightly beyond your comfort zone when pursuing goals or working on projects, as this type of psychological challenge can be beneficial for building stress resistance, provided it does not lead to overwhelming anxiety.
Be vigilant against rumination—worrying excessively about past experiences or future events—as this is a major component of chronic distress that can lead to anxiety and depression.
Practice meditation to become more mindful and aware of your own behaviors and the underlying intentions for your actions, which can lead to making better decisions.
Experiment with different meditation techniques such as yoga, flotation tanks, guided apps (like Headspace), Transcendental Meditation (15-20 minutes, 1-2 times daily with a mantra), or immersing yourself in nature to find a practice that suits you.
Make it a priority to engage in any behavior that effectively decreases rumination and encourages altruism, as these actions are considered highly beneficial for overall well-being.
Understand the difference between beneficial stress (eustress), which builds resilience, and negative stress (distress), which is chronic and harmful, to better manage your responses to life’s challenges.