Remaining in a calm state for as much of your life as possible seems like a good idea from a mental well-being perspective. You don’t want negative thoughts continually wracking your mind as you go through the day, robbing you of confidence. Do calmer people live longer?
It turns out that there’s some striking evidence that being a calm person could also help you live longer. Crazy as it might sound, science backs it up.
Science on whether calmer people live longer
For a long time, researchers have believed that how we think changes the behavior of our bodies. People who are stressed, for instance, have lowered immune responses. And this, in turn, means that their bodies clear out fewer dangerous cells, potentially leading to cancer.
Anxious people also seem to have higher blood pressure – a risk factor in cardiovascular disease. And a lot of people with chronic depression appear to have greater morbidity in old age. It’s all very suggestive of a mind-body link.
New calmness science, however, from Harvard Medical School now finally confirms what many people believed already – being calm for most of the time may actually help you live longer. Calmer people may live longer!
The research looked at flickers of electrical energy in the brain that make up brain waves. Researchers associated some patterns with calmness and others with tension, stress, and anxiety. They found that people with the calmest brain regions also had the healthiest biomarkers, indicative of a longer life.
For anyone interested in maintaining and building their health, this is exciting news. It means that we could affect our health outcomes by simply changing the way we think and act. Being calm could be the fountain of youth.
So what can the average person do to stay calm throughout the day? Let’s take a look.
Engage In Meditation
Meditative practices appear to fundamentally change the way that the brain works. Long-term, it can adjust your brain waves to make you calmer and more productive. It gets you out of panicky episodes and helps you see the bigger picture.
Eat Foods That Modify Stress Pathways
CBD gummies, ashwagandha, and even walnuts all appear to modify stress pathways and make them less active over tistrme. Thus, simply including these items in your diet could help you create the calm you crave.
Start Walking
Moving around isn’t as easy these days as it was in the past. But you’re still allowed to exercise, so why not take advantage of it?
Simple walking helps to relieve stress and fosters calm by releasing helpful chemicals in your brain. After a brisk amble in the cold, you’ll often feel a lot better about yourself.
Put Your Life In Perspective
Try not to center your life so much around the need to succeed. Instead, try accepting life as it comes at you. A lot of the time, your predicament isn’t your fault. Just focus on the sensations running through your body right now, and try to let go of both the past and future.
Once you adopt these strategies, you increase your chances of living longer and happier.
