THE TELOMERE MANIFESTO

Your cellular health is reflected in the wellbeing of your mind, body, and community. Here are the elements of telomere maintenance that we believe to be the most crucial for a healthier world:

Mind Your Telomeres

image Evaluate sources of persistent, intense stress. What can you change?

image Transform a threat to a challenge appraisal.

image Become more self-compassionate and compassionate to others.

image Take up a restorative activity.

image Practice thought awareness and mindful attention. Awareness opens doors to wellbeing.

Maintain Your Telomeres

image Be active.

image Develop a sleep ritual for more restorative and longer sleep.

image Eat mindfully to reduce overeating and ride out cravings.

image Choose telomere-healthy foods—whole foods, omega-3s, skip the bacon.

Connect Your Telomeres

image Make room for connection: Disconnect from screens for part of the day.

image Cultivate a few good, close relationships.

image Provide children quality attention and the right amount of “good stress.”

image Cultivate your neighborhood social capital. Help strangers.

image Seek green. Spend time in nature.

image Mindful attention to other people allows connections to bloom. Attention is your gift to give.

Create Telomere Health in Your Community and the World

image Improve prenatal care.

image Protect children from violence and other traumas that damage telomeres.

image Reduce inequality.

image Clean up local and global toxins.

image Improve food policies so that everyone has access to fresh, healthy, affordable food.

The future health of our society is being shaped right now, and we can measure part of that future in telomere base pairs.