The Power of Positivity – How Optimism Can Help Slow Parkinson’s Progression - Live Parkinson's - Live an Exceptional Life!

Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:10):
Hello, and welcome to Live Parkinson's Live an
Exceptional Life, the podcastwhere we talk about real-world
ways to live your best life withParkinson's through exercise,
nutrition, optimism, andcommunity.
I'm Chris Kustenbautter, andI've been living an exceptional
life with Parkinson's for thepast 15 years.
Now, today's topic is one thatto me has been a vital part of

(00:31):
my Parkinson's journey, and Ihope it can be part of your
Parkinson's journey as well.
And that is the power ofpositivity, how optimism can
slow Parkinson's progression.
Now, when I was first diagnosedwith Parkinson's, and I'll be
honest with you here, positivitywasn't exactly my first
reaction, nor was it the firstthing that popped into my head.

(00:52):
Nor do I think it's the firstthought that most people have
when they get a Parkinson'sdiagnosis.
In fact, I remember sitting inthe neurologist office thinking,
what does this mean for myfuture?
For my family, and for the lifethat I thought I was going to
live.
Now it took a little bit of timeand it took some work and some
research, but I eventuallyrealized something powerful.

(01:15):
How you think about Parkinson'scan change how you live with it.
And I've also been fascinatedabout the power of the mind and
how it can either positively ornegatively impact us.
I'm fascinated by people whohave gone through horrific
tragedies or ordeals and comeout the other side living a life
with positivity and gratitudethat they share with others

(01:35):
through their stories.
Now, when I say positivity, I'mnot saying, hey, just think
happy thoughts.
Everything's going to be great.
No, what I mean is somethingdeeper.
There's real science showingthat optimism can impact our
brain health, slow progression,and improve the quality of life.
So that's what we're taking alook at in today's podcast.
So hopefully you'll join me onthis journey of exploration into

(01:59):
how the power of positivity canquite literally help your brain
and your body thrive withParkinson's.
Alright, now when we talk aboutpositivity, the first thing that
we often think of is it meansignoring reality, pretending
everything is fine when it'snot.
Now you've heard all thesayings, everything's going to
be fine.
Every cloud has a silver lining.

(02:20):
But really that's not whatoptimism is all about.
True positivity is acknowledgingthe challenges.
Yes, Parkinson's is tough, and Iknow that we can all agree on
that.
But choosing to focus on whatyou can control and then
acknowledging the things thatyou can't control, but letting
go and focusing on that.

(02:41):
It's about finding gratitude andsmall wins, celebrating
progress, and staying hopefulfor tomorrow.
Now for me, it might meansaying, you know, today wasn't
perfect, my tremor was worse, orI felt stiff, but you know what?
I still got my workout in.
I was able to go fly fishing andactually tie my fly on in less

(03:03):
than 10 minutes or less, whichsometimes can be a feat of
accomplishment.
Or I could still play the guitarand enjoy the music that I'm
playing.
That's optimism and action.
And you know what?
It really does add up over time.
Now, here's where it gets reallyinteresting.
Because positivity isn't justfeel-good talk, there's actually

(03:26):
some real science behind it.
There was a 2022 study publishedin the Journal of the American
Medical Association, NetworkOpen, and it found that people
with higher levels of optimismlive longer and had a 30 to 35%
greater chance of reachingexceptional longevity, even when
accounting for factors likehealth, income, and lifestyle.

(03:50):
Now, you may have seen ityourself.
You know, I know I've have metpeople who have a negative and
pessimistic outlook on life, andthey tend to look older and seem
to be, seem to have moreproblems than people that are
their same age.
In fact, I've seen people intheir 50s that have a negative
outlook on life that look likethey're 80.

(04:11):
And then I've seen people intheir 80s that have an
optimistic outlook and aregrateful for what they have, and
they look like they're in their50s.
Now, I'm not saying it's allbecause of optimism, but it's
just one of the observationsthat I've noticed, and maybe
you've noticed the same thing aswell.
Now, there was another study inthe journal Personality and
Social Psychology that foundthat optimistic people tend to

(04:34):
have lower levels ofinflammation and stronger immune
responses, both of which to linkto better brain health and
slower neurodegeneration.
Now, here's what's fascinatingfor those of us that have
Parkinson's.
Positivity isn't just emotional,it's chemical.
When we think positively, ourbrains release both dopamine and

(04:56):
serotonin, and they're the sameneurotransmitters that affect
our mood and our movement.
So think about it.
When you've won an award or youdo something nice for somebody
else, or that you do somethingfun and exciting, you get that
shot of dopamine and it makesyou feel good.

(05:16):
Now, since dopamine depletion iscentral in Parkinson's, those
moments of optimism and joy canactually help us balance our
brain chemistry.
So, what does that mean?
That means that every time youfocus on gratitude, you spend
time laughing with friends, oryou find purpose in life,
whether that's doing a hobby ormaybe volunteering, helping

(05:39):
somebody else out, you're givingyour brain a small but
meaningful boost.
Now, this connects directly toneuroplasticity.
And you've heard me talk aboutthat ad infinitum, but it's the
brain's ability to rewire andadapt.
And research from the HarvardMedical School and Stanford
University has shown thatpractices like gratitude,

(06:00):
journaling, mindfulness, andpositive social interaction
strengthen your neural pathwaysthat are associated with
resilience and well-being.
So, really, optimism isn't justin your head, it's also in your
brain.
So you're literally trainingyour mind and your body to
function better.

(06:20):
So, how do we build positivityin everyday life?
That's always the big question.
And how can you make positivitya part of your daily life with
Parkinson's?
So, let's talk about somepractical strategies that have
worked for me and for manyothers in the Parkinson's
community.
And the first one is start yourday with intention.
So before you even get out ofbed, take a few deep breaths and

(06:43):
ask yourself, what's one goodthing I'm looking forward to
today?
It could be you're lookingforward to going for a walk with
a friend.
Maybe it's you're making a phonecall with a friend that you
haven't talked to in a while.
Maybe you're having people overfor dinner and you're looking
forward to a great meal.
So it's anything that shiftsyour focus toward hope instead
of laying there worrying aboutwhat can or can't happen.

(07:07):
All right, second, practicegratitude.
And you can do this in a numberof ways.
Every night you can write downthree good things about your
day.
They don't have to be big.
Maybe, you know, I made it toexercise class today.
I saw the sunset, or mymedication worked well today.
Anything that you can begrateful for.
I got to see my grandkids, or Iact I got to do one of my

(07:31):
favorite hobbies, I got to gofly fishing today.
And then over time, this isgoing to rewire your brain to
spot the positivesautomatically.
Now, one of the things I didwhen I did cognitive behavioral
draining was you can also writedown negative thoughts and
negative thought patterns andthen replace it with positive
ones.
And what this does, it helps youretrain your brain to be more

(07:54):
positive and more optimistic.
Now, another way to practicegratitude, if you don't want to
do it in the evening, somepeople do it when they wake up,
they write down three thingsthat they're grateful for today.
And that's a great way to startyour day off as well.
Next up is move your body.
Ah, yes, my favorite, and I knowwhat you're thinking.
You're saying, don't say it,Chris, but I'm gonna do it

(08:16):
anyway.
Yes, exercise.
Exercise boosts endorphins anddopamine, which are your natural
mood lifters.
So whether you like to do apeddling for Parkinson's class,
whether you like to go walkingwith friends, maybe you're doing
a boxing class, or you just liketo dance.
Physical movement is one of thebest ways that you can fight

(08:36):
both depression and diseaseprogression.
So get out there and move thatbody.
I mean, I've said it hundreds oftimes, and I know you probably
hate me for it, but exercisereally does go a long way in
helping you on your Parkinson'sjourney.
Number four, stay sociallyconnected.
Positivity grows when we canshare it.

(08:57):
You know, you've heard thesaying pay it forward.
Parkinson's can make you want toisolate, but social interaction
is going to keep your brainactive and your mood balanced.
So join a support group, join agroup fitness class where you
all get together and work out,or just grab a cup of coffee
with a friend and sit and talkabout what's going on.
Staying connected is reallygoing to help you in the long

(09:18):
run because it's going toprevent social isolation and
it's also going to make you feelgood.
Number five, reframe challenges.
Instead of saying I can't, youcan say, How can I?
Now, I have two phrases that Ireally don't allow in my
vocabulary, and they're thewords I can't and it will never

(09:40):
happen.
When you say you can't, then youwon't be able to.
Always give it a try and do itthe best you can.
You're not going to be perfect.
I'm not perfect, but at leastI'm willing to give it a try and
do the best I can.
So I don't like to say I can'tbecause I think we can all learn
something.
We just have to be able to putour mind to it and figure out

(10:01):
how we're going to overcome thethe challenges or what
modifications can I use to beable to do it.
And second of all, when you say,Oh, that's never going to
happen, then you're alreadysetting yourself up for failure.
Always give it a try.
How can I overcome thechallenges?
And what can I do to modify tobe able to do the things that I

(10:24):
want to do?
And you really might surpriseyourself.
I know when I first startedlearning to play guitar, I was
thinking to myself, this isreally going to be challenging,
making these different chordshapes with my bad hand that has
the tremors on, and thenlearning how to try to strum and
switch chords at the same time.
But I broke it down into smallpieces, and now I can play the

(10:46):
guitar and I feel good aboutmyself.
So you want to celebrate thosewins as well.
So just remember that the smallshift in language is going to
keep your brain searching forsolutions instead of roadblocks.
And then finally, number six,embrace laughter and
mindfulness.
Watch something funny.
I love watching comedy movies,but I love listening to jokes

(11:09):
and comedians, and I just loveto sit around and laugh.
Laughter, they, as they say, isthe best medicine.
And then also practicebreathing, whether it be focused
breathing, and then trymeditation.
I know people struggle with it,but it's a great way to reduce
stress and help you look begrateful for what you have in

(11:30):
life.
So reducing stress is going tolower your cortisol, which is
the flate or flight hormone, andthat can worsen tremors and your
fatigue.
So if you can reduce thecortisol through laughing,
meditation, and deep breathingtechniques, it's going to help
in the long run.
So just remember positivity islike exercise, it's a muscle.

(11:51):
The more you use it, the moreyou practice, the stronger it
becomes.
And just to reinforce this, Iwant to give you a real life
story.
I met a friend in one of mypeddling for Parkinson's
classes.
And when he first joined, hecould barely get through 10
minutes without stopping.
You know what?
But he showed up every week.
He had a smile on his face, hewas joking around, and he was

(12:14):
also encouraging others.
And after a few months, hewasn't just riding longer, he
was happier.
And after class, he came up andtold me, you know, he said,
Chris, I used to think my bestdays were behind me.
He said, now I wake up excitedto see what I can do next.
And that's the power ofpositivity in action.
He didn't change his fitness, hechanged his outlook.

(12:37):
And that outlook changed hislife.
He realized, I'm going to showup, I'm going to do the best I
can.
And in the long run, it it ledto a happier and healthier life
for him.
All right, so here's the truthPositivity isn't going to make
your Parkinson's disappear.
I'm not here to say that, but itwill make your journey richer,

(12:57):
more meaningful, and moreconnected.
So every day you chooseoptimism, you strengthen your
brain, your body, and yourspirit.
So today I want to challengeyou.
Find one thing to be gratefulfor right now.
Maybe it's your morning coffee,your spouses or your friends
smile, or the fact that you'restill here, listening and

(13:18):
learning, still moving forward.
Maybe it's spending time withyour grandkids.
Maybe it's a big trip thatyou're that you've just
finished.
Whatever it happens to be, lookfor something that you're
grateful for.
And remember that you'restronger than you think, and
your mindset is one of thegreatest tools that you have.
The mind is a very powerfulthing.
So if you enjoyed today'sepisode and want more

(13:41):
inspiration, I ask you to visitLiveParkinsons.com and subscribe
to the free monthly newsletter.
You'll get practical tools,mindset strategies, and stories
that are going to help you liveyour best life with Parkinson's.
Plus, you'll be part of a greatcommunity.
And if you'd like to helpsupport this mission and keep
the podcast going, you can visitKofi.com slash Live Parkinson's

(14:01):
or my Buzz Sprout page and clickthe support the show.
Every contribution, big orsmall, really does make a
difference in helping me keepresources free and available to
everybody.
And if you'd like to learn moreabout my personal journey and
the four strategies that I'vehelped me thrive over the last
15 years, check out my book,Spectacular Life, Four Essential

(14:23):
Strategies for Living withParkinson's Disease that's
available on Amazon.
And I talk a lot aboutpositivity and optimism in that
book.
And I want to thank you forjoining me today.
And remember, stay active, staypositive, and always live
exceptional.
Be the person that you want tobe and don't let challenges get
in your way.

(14:43):
Thanks again for listening, andI hope to see you soon.

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The Power of Positivity – How Optimism Can Help Slow Parkinson’s Progression

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