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A Psychologist's Top 3 Tips To Flex Your "Soul Muscles" For Longevity

Jason Wachob
Author:
September 24, 2024
Jason Wachob
mbg Founder & Co-CEO
By Jason Wachob
mbg Founder & Co-CEO
Jason Wachob is the Founder and Co-CEO of mindbodygreen and the author of Wellth.
David DeSteno, Ph.D.
Image by David DeSteno, Ph.D.
September 24, 2024
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

If you're serious about increasing your well-being and longevity, you need a sense of spirituality. 

It's not just something we believe here at mindbodygreen—the science is pretty clear on this. "The data shows that engagement in spiritual practices leads people to be healthier and live longer, happier lives," says psychologist David DeSteno, Ph.D., on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast

DeSteno is a professor at Northeastern University who focuses on understanding the science behind religious practices and how they can benefit our well-being. And to be clear, he has a very broad definition of spirituality; you don't necessarily have to attend religious services to reap the longevity benefits.

In fact, some unsuspecting habits you do every day can help you flex your "soul muscles." Here, find DeSeno's top tips:

1.

Exercise with others

"People often say the body is a temple. That typically means you should take care of your body—you should treat it with respect, you should exercise…" DeSteno explains. "But the body is also a vehicle for spirituality and can be a temple in that way as well." 

Think about it: Exercise helps you connect with your own body, clear your mind, and fosters community. Plus, "When you engage in exercise, not only does it release endorphins—the chemical that is responsible for the runner's high—but it also releases endocannabinoids," DeSteno adds. "These endocannabinoids socially bond people1." 

Research by Oxford professor Emma Cohen, Ph.D., similarly shows that group exercise promotes social bonding, DeSteno shares. And when people feel more bonded to each other, "They can actually feel spiritual ecstasy when it gets to the right level," he notes. Some fitness brands even lean into the spiritual experience of group exercise (think SoulCycle and CrossFit). Consider it your sign to book a workout class. 

2.

Microdose gratitude

Practicing gratitude is an easy, effective way to tap into your spirituality. It's certainly a case for starting a gratitude journal. However, "most people [write a] gratitude journal at the end of the day," says DeSteno. "That's great, but that means you're going to feel grateful for 20 minutes before you go to bed."

Whereas, if you want your gratitude to influence your daily activities and interactions, you'll want to incorporate it earlier in your routine. 

He references a practice in Judaism called "Nisim B'chol Yom" (which translates to "miracles of the everyday"), in which people give thanks frequently during the day. "There are all these very brief blessings you can give for lots of things—a beautiful sunset, your health, a beautiful painting, a good night's sleep, whatever it is," DeSteno explains. "It makes you microdose gratitude throughout the day."

He's currently spearheading a study—which will likely publish later this year—to discover whether this "microdosing" approach is more effective than practicing gratitude right before you go to sleep. For now, he recommends focusing on gratitude throughout the day when those emotions can really influence you. 

3.

Meditate

Meditation is associated with plenty of physical benefits: It can actually lower cortisol2, which can help with blood pressure and heart rate; it can increase dopamine levels3, which is key for mental health and memory; meditators also have higher melatonin levels4, which is necessary for quality sleep. 

But meditation wasn't necessarily created for those health benefits, says DeSteno. "It was intended to reduce suffering in the world—yours and somebody else's," he notes. And those who meditate, DeSteno found, tend to have a more compassionate response to suffering. 

He conducted a study5 in which a group of people participated in eight weeks of meditation every day. He invited them back to the lab, then hired an actor to walk into the waiting room on crutches and drop a pile of items. "People who had meditated for eight weeks were more willing to jump up and help this person to see if they could relieve their pain," he notes. Is there anything more spiritual than that? 

The takeaway

Spirituality may look different to everyone, and that's OK. You can tap into your spirituality in myriad ways; at the end of the day, it's just about believing in something bigger than yourself. "Remember that it's not all about us," DeSteno declares. "It's about something greater and what we can do for each other. That will go a long, long way."

We hope you enjoy this episode! And don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube!

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