Category

Mental & Emotional Health

As many of you have heard me discuss, longevity is a balance of lifespan (living longer) and healthspan (living better). I want to take a moment to focus specifically on one of the key elements of living better: emotional health.

While this is a bit of a nebulous concept, to me it encompasses happiness, emotional resilience and distress tolerance, mindfulness, stillness, and fulfillment, among others. It touches on our sense of individual purpose, as well as our ability to engage in meaningful and supportive relationships with those we love.

Below is a collection of past articles and podcasts discussing the topic of mental and emotional health. My hope is this past content can serve as helpful resources to dive deeper into this topic.

The dangers of “healthy” addictions

Though exercise has virtually unlimited health benefits, addiction to exercise can be a danger to mental and physical well-being. But what distinguishes exercise addiction from healthy engagement in physical activity?

#237 ‒ Optimizing life for maximum fulfillment | Bill Perkins

In the game of life, what I’m solving for is regret minimization. . .I want the highest score in net fulfillment.” —Bill Perkins

nature effects on brain

Understanding nature’s effects on stress requires more than intuition

A recent study investigated how nature walks impact brain regions involved in stress responses but trips on its own assumptions

the health effects of solitude

Does solitude equate to loneliness?

At all stages of life, we spend more time alone than ever before in history. Are we growing lonely?

#228 ‒ Improving body composition, female-specific training principles, and overcoming an eating disorder | Holly Baxter, APD

You will always lose muscle mass when you attempt a fat-loss phase, but the leaner you get, the greater the risk of that muscle loss because you no longer have that caloric cushioning to support that.” —Holly Baxter

#226 ‒ The science of happiness | Arthur Brooks, Ph.D.

Arthur Brooks is a social scientist, professor at Harvard University, a columnist for The Atlantic, and the bestselling author of…

benefits of fear

How horror may reduce anxiety and improve mental well-being

Could watching scary movies actually be good for your health? 

#225 ‒ The comfort crisis, doing hard things, rucking, and more | Michael Easter, MA

Dancing on the edge of failure, you can realize that it’s not that big of a deal.” —Michael Easter

Prioritizing “real friends” over “deal friends”

According to a May 2021 survey, Americans report having fewer close friendships than they did 30 years ago. But according to a recent conversation I had with author and social scientist Arthur Brooks, friendship is one of the key factors in finding and maintaining happiness as we age. 

 

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