The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World

“The most mind-blowing results concern the aging process. People with a more positive attitude to their later years are less likely to develop hearing loss, frailty, and illness—and even Alzheimer’s disease—than people who associate aging with senility and disability. In a very real sense, we are as young as we feel inside.”

“what we feel and think will determine what we experience, which will in turn influence what we feel and what we think, in a never-ending cycle.”

“HOW TO THINK ABOUT … EATING Avoid distractions during meals and pay attention to the food you are consuming. Try to cultivate strong memories of the experience, which will help you to feel and stay sated. If you are trying to cut down on snacks, remind yourself what you ate for your last meal. You may find that recollection helps to curb hunger pangs. Be aware of food descriptions that create a sense of deprivation. Even if you are looking for low-calorie meals, try to find products that evoke a feeling of indulgence. When dieting, pay particular attention to flavor, texture, and presentation—anything that will heighten your enjoyment of the food and leave you feeling more satisfied afterward. Avoid sweetened drinks—it is hard for the body to adapt its energy regulation to their high calorie content. Enjoy the anticipation of food—this will prime your digestive response and help you to feel more satisfied afterward. Don’t feel guilty about the occasional treat, but instead relish the moment of pleasure.”

“We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are,”

“The vice was neither opium nor absinthe, but anxiety. As early as 1872 the British Medical Journal noted that the “strained and hurried excitement of these times” was exhausting people’s nervous energy, leading to mental and physical breakdowns and even a rise in heart disease. “These figures,” it noted, “warn us to take a little more care not to kill ourselves for the sake of living.” The journal advocated a form of mental “hygiene”

“Don’t feel guilty about the occasional treat, but instead relish the moment of pleasure.”

“One comparison of thirteen different countries found that the accessibility of negative coverage online is directly proportional to the percentage of patients experiencing side effects in that region. In the United States and the UK—where negative stories about statins are most frequently encountered—”

“fewer and fewer people live in intergenerational households, and older people are more often treated as a burden rather than a valued member of the family. This mindset is a disadvantage for children and grandchildren as well as grandparents: various studies show that regular contact with elders can lead younger people to develop more positive views of aging. As those children reach adulthood and middle age, those experiences will help them to remember what healthy aging can look like.”

“There are no miracles. There is only discipline.”