Dr. Ellen Langer
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
What happens if you pay attention?
So what we do, we start by calling people every day, twice a day, sometimes three times a day at various times.
Let's say you have chronic pain, for example.
Nobody needs stress.
It doesn't matter what it is.
People in chronic pain think they're in pain all the time.
People who are stressed think they're stressed.
Nobody is anything all the time.
So we call and say, how is it right now?
Is it better or worse than before?
And why?
The why is the crucial question.
All right.
So what happens is now, there are many times it's going to be better.
So you're going to feel, gee.
It's not as bad as I thought it was.
There are moments of relief.
Why initiates a mindful search.
Why now is it better than before?
And by doing this, and the process now gives you some control over the disease.