I had the pleasure of talking to the lovely journalist/writer Jaime Stathis in December and am excited to share her article! I’m quoted a few times in the last section:
“Control the Controllables
Much of life is out of our control, and genetics may factor in your longevity, but controlling your mindset is one way of working with what you have. Two recent studies show that optimism is linked to longevity and well-being, and Katie Peterson, LCSW, a Hudson Valley-based therapist who sees clients virtually, says there are easy-to-implement ways to increase optimism. Instead of getting overwhelmed by a long list of goals, Peterson suggests asking: "What do I want to feel like?"
Do you want to learn something new? Do you want to engage more with your community? Do you want to implement new eating or movement plans? "The word 'should' does nothing good for our mental health," Peterson says, "But asking ourselves how we want to spend our time and who we want to spend time with is a great way to move in the direction of feeling good."
"Many people struggle post-pandemic with what they even want to do," Peterson says, "But learning new things is a great way to increase presence, and getting out and trying a new hobby is also a great way to engage with others who are also learning something."“