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and especially how one responds to the twists of fate.
You’re born with a particular set of genes, but the way you live can influence how your genes express themselves.
aging is a dynamic process that can be accelerated or slowed, and in some aspects even reversed.
To an extent that has surprised us and the rest of the scientific community, telomeres do not simply carry out the commands issued by your genetic code. Your telomeres, it turns out, are listening to you. They absorb the instructions you give them. The way you live can, in effect, tell your telomeres to speed up the process of cellular aging.
We can reframe our view of situations in a more positive way.
Several mind-body techniques, including meditation and Qigong, have been shown to reduce stress and to increase telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres.
Exercise that promotes cardiovascular fitness is gre...
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Telomeres hate processed meats like hot dogs, but fresh, whole foods are good for them.
you can drive in a slower lane, taking more time to enjoy the weather, the music, and the company in the passenger seat. And, of course, you’ll enjoy your good health.
One study has found that people who tend to focus their minds more on what they are currently doing have longer telomeres than people whose minds tend to wander more.
Telomerase is the enzyme responsible for restoring the DNA lost during cell divisions. Telomerase makes and replenishes telomeres.
Telomerase can slow, prevent, or even reverse the shortening of
telomeres that comes with cell division.
It also meant that our life experiences, and the way we respond to those events, can change the lengths of our telomeres. In other words, we can change the way that we age, at the most elemental, cellular level.
stress and telomeres have a dose-response relationship.
It is vitally important to get out of long-term, psychologically toxic situations if it’s at all possible.
Our studies have shown that being under chronic stress does not inevitably lead to telomere damage.
you can learn to use stress as a source of positive fuel—and as a shield that can help protect your telomeres.
It’s not just from experiencing a stressful event, it’s also from feeling threatened by it, even if the stressful event hasn’t happened yet.
A predominant challenge response, though, may help shield your telomeres from some of the worst effects of chronic stress.
Our emotions are not pure reactions to the world; they are our own fabricated constructions of the world.
It is the knowledge that even though times may be very difficult, you can shape stress to your purpose.
There is high-quality evidence that meditation, chanting, and other mindfulness practices can reduce stress, stimulate telomerase, and perhaps even help your telomeres to grow.
There is some freedom in each moment, because we can have a choice about how we spend this moment.
Use the challenge response to protect your cells while you engage fully with life.
Break the cycle by reminding yourself that your identity runs wide and deep:
The next time a threat looms, pause and list what’s most important to you.
When you see just how broad your values run, you validate your sense of self-worth, so there’s less of your identity riding on the outcome of a single event.
Create some space between your feeling self and your thinking self.
It’s the hostility component of type A that is so damaging.
people who scored high on a pessimism inventory had shorter telomeres.
pessimism is a risk factor for poor health.
“A wandering mind is an unhappy mind.”
“When we let go of wanting something else to happen in this moment, we are taking a profound step toward being able to encounter what is here now.”
It turns out the most efficient use of time is to do one thing and to pay full attention to it.
People who ruminate experience more depression and anxiety,13 which are in turn associated with shorter telomeres.
greater avoidance of negative feelings and thoughts was associated with shorter telomeres.
Instead of pushing your thoughts under the surface or letting them control your behavior, you let the negative thoughts pass by.
there’s one personality trait that appears to be good for them: conscientiousness. Conscientious people are organized, persistent, and task oriented; they work hard toward long-term goals—and their telomeres tend to be longer.
conscientiousness is the personality trait that is the most consistent predictor of longevity.
Having high levels of impulsivity is associated with shorter telomeres as well.
Instead of beating yourself up, you treat yourself with the same warmth and understanding you’d extend to a friend.
People high in self-compassion react to stress with lower levels of stress hormones,35 and they have less anxiety and depression.
By teaching us to rely on ourselves for encouragement and support, self-compassion makes us more resilient.
Developing self-compassion is not weak or wimpy at all. It is self-reliance, and a part of stress resilience.
high hostility is related to shorter telomeres in men.6
daily rumination is associated with lower telomerase.
purpose in life is linked to better health behaviors, physiological health, and stress resiliency.
Telomeres can recover, thanks to telomerase.
Depression is partly a dysfunctional response to stress.
