“You don't have to stop. Sometimes you just need to pause, recalibrate, and reassess what the options are," says Sue Varma, M.D.
Sue, a board-certified psychiatrist, joins us to discuss how to cultivate incredible resilience and growth, plus:
- What is practical optimism? (~00:04)
- How to approach circumstances you have no control over (~03:41)
- The role of hope & faith (~06:42)
- Why toxic positivity sets us up for failure (~08:35)
- Sue’s take on manifestation (~10:06)
- The power of being alone, not lonely (~14:06)
- The 8 pillars of practical optimism (~16:23)
- Why we should all be social snacking (~22:06)
- What happens when we don’t feel seen (~26:07)
- How to identify your purpose (~30:03)
- How to measure your level of optimism (~31:45)
- How much of the population is actually optimistic? (~36:38)
- Sue’s 4 M’s of mental health (~39:37)
- What to do when you start to negatively spiral (~42:55)
- How to start a worry diary (~45:11)
- Why women report higher stress levels (~46:17)
- The optimistic future of women’s sports (~48:57)
- How optimism leads to exceptional longevity (~52:51)

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Referenced in the episode:
- Sue's book, Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being
- mbg Podcast episode #, with Michael Easter
- A study on mild electric shock vs. being alone
- Research on conversations with strangers & happiness
- A study showing 25% of optimism is genetic
- A NYT article about Sue's salsa dancing
- Harvard adult development study on relationships & health

We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com.
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