This week’s guest has spent over 50 years conducting ground-breaking research showing that your thoughts have a profound impact on your body.

Dr Ellen J. Langer is Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, and widely known as the ‘mother of mindfulness’. She is the recipient of three Distinguished Scientists awards and the author of twelve books, including her very latest, The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health.

In our conversation, we discuss how our mindsets directly affect our physical health, why much of what we attribute to ageing may actually be a consequence of our beliefs and the real meaning of mindfulness.

We also explore whether as a society, we need to rethink the concept of work-life balance, with Ellen suggesting that we should instead focus on “work-life integration,” where we find interest and joy in whatever we’re doing.

She also shares a powerful technique that has helped many patients with long term conditions like MS, Parkinson’s and chronic pain and she outlines a refreshing approach to decision making: instead of trying to make the “right” decision, we should choose and then “make the decision right”

This is a powerful conversation that reminds all of us that we have a lot more control over our wellbeing than we might initially think.

Ellen is a wonderful human, full of knowledge, expertise and passion – and the ideas she shares have the power to transform your health, longevity and happiness.

Watch the video version of this interview – click below.