People I (Mostly) Admire 133. Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)
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Jun 8, 2024 
Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist renowned for her work on mindfulness and the mind-body connection, shares eye-opening insights on how mindset affects health. She discusses fascinating studies showing that merely changing environments can rejuvenate the elderly’s physical health. Langer emphasizes that mindfulness can enhance memory and perception, reshaping how we view everyday experiences. She also advocates for a new health paradigm that integrates mindfulness into patient care, challenging conventional approaches to wellness.
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Counterclockwise Study
- Ellen Langer describes the Counterclockwise study, where elderly men lived in a 1959-themed retreat.
- Their vision, hearing, memory, strength, and appearance improved, demonstrating mind-body unity.
Chambermaid Study
- In a study with chambermaids, Langer showed that simply changing their mindset about work improved their health.
- By believing their work was exercise, they lost weight, improved their waist-to-hip ratio, and lowered their blood pressure.
Wound Healing Study
- Langer and her student inflicted minor wounds on participants while manipulating their perception of time.
- Wounds healed based on perceived time, not actual time, further proving the mind-body connection.
