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

In this episode of Live Parkinson’s – Live an Exceptional Life, host Chris Kustanbauter shares how cultivating a positive mindset can truly change the way you live with Parkinson’s disease.

Drawing from personal experience and supported by clinical research, Chris explores the powerful connection between optimism, brain health, and Parkinson’s progression — and how positivity isn’t just a mindset, but a biological advantage.

If you’ve ever wondered how attitude affects your symptoms, motivation, or quality of life, this episode will empower you with practical tools and hope-filled strategies you can start using today.

🌟 Key Topics Covered:

• What true positivity means when living with Parkinson’s — and what it doesn’t
• How optimism can influence dopamine, serotonin, and brain chemistry
• The science behind neuroplasticity and emotional well-being
• Evidence from clinical studies linking optimism to longer, healthier lives
• Simple daily practices to build optimism and resilience
• How gratitude, movement, and social connection improve both mood and mobility
• Real-life examples of people thriving with Parkinson’s through a positive outlook

💪 Why Listen:

You’ll discover how mindset and positivity can slow the effects of Parkinson’s, boost energy, and help you live with greater joy, connection, and purpose — even on the hardest days.

🔗 Resources & Calls to Action:

🌐 Visit LiveParkinsons.com to Subscribe to the free monthly newsletter and access exclusive wellness resources, tips, and tools to help you live exceptionally with Parkinson’s

☕ Support the mission:
 Help support the mission so I can continue producing meaningful content for the Parkinson’s community by visiting
 👉 Ko-fi.com/liveparkinsons
or  Buzzsprout page and clicking “Support the Show.”

📘 Learn more about my personal journey in his inspiring book,
 “Spectacular Life – 4 Essential Strategies for Living with Parkinson’s Disease,” available now on Amazon.

 #Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #LivingWellWithParkinsons #PositiveMindset #ParkinsonsPositivity  #HealthAndWellness #WellnessJourney #HealthyLi

Chapters

• 0:10 Setting The Theme: Positivity
• 1:45 Defining Realistic Optimism
• 3:28 Science Linking Optimism And Longevity
• 4:48 Dopamine, Joy, And Neuroplasticity
• 6:20 Daily Habits That Build Positivity
• 12:11 Movement, Community, And Mindset Shifts

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:10

Hello, and welcome to Live Parkinson's Live an Exceptional Life, the podcast where we talk about real-world ways to live your best life with Parkinson's through exercise, nutrition, optimism, and community. I'm Chris Kustenbautter, and I've been living an exceptional life with Parkinson's for the past 15 years. Now, today's topic is one that to me has been a vital part of my Parkinson's journey, and I hope it can be part of your Parkinson's journey as well. And that is the power of positivity, how optimism can slow Parkinson's progression. Now, when I was first diagnosed with Parkinson's, and I'll be honest with you here, positivity wasn't exactly my first reaction, nor was it the first thing that popped into my head. Nor do I think it's the first thought that most people have when they get a Parkinson's diagnosis. In fact, I remember sitting in the neurologist office thinking, what does this mean for my future? For my family, and for the life that I thought I was going to live. Now it took a little bit of time and it took some work and some research, but I eventually realized something powerful. How you think about Parkinson's can change how you live with it. And I've also been fascinated about the power of the mind and how it can either positively or negatively impact us. I'm fascinated by people who have gone through horrific tragedies or ordeals and come out the other side living a life with positivity and gratitude that they share with others through their stories. Now, when I say positivity, I'm not saying, hey, just think happy thoughts. Everything's going to be great. No, what I mean is something deeper. There's real science showing that optimism can impact our brain health, slow progression, and improve the quality of life. So that's what we're taking a look at in today's podcast. So hopefully you'll join me on this journey of exploration into how the power of positivity can quite literally help your brain and your body thrive with Parkinson's. Alright, now when we talk about positivity, the first thing that we often think of is it means ignoring reality, pretending everything is fine when it's not. Now you've heard all the sayings, everything's going to be fine. Every cloud has a silver lining. But really that's not what optimism is all about. True positivity is acknowledging the challenges. Yes, Parkinson's is tough, and I know that we can all agree on that. But choosing to focus on what you can control and then acknowledging the things that you can't control, but letting go and focusing on that. It's about finding gratitude and small wins, celebrating progress, and staying hopeful for tomorrow. Now for me, it might mean saying, you know, today wasn't perfect, my tremor was worse, or I felt stiff, but you know what? I still got my workout in. I was able to go fly fishing and actually tie my fly on in less than 10 minutes or less, which sometimes can be a feat of accomplishment. Or I could still play the guitar and 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 really interesting. Because positivity isn't just feel-good talk, there's actually some real science behind it. There was a 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Network Open, and it found that people with higher levels of optimism live longer and had a 30 to 35% greater chance of reaching exceptional longevity, even when accounting for factors like health, income, and lifestyle. Now, you may have seen it yourself. You know, I know I've have met people who have a negative and pessimistic outlook on life, and they tend to look older and seem to be, seem to have more problems than people that are their same age. In fact, I've seen people in their 50s that have a negative outlook on life that look like they're 80. And then I've seen people in their 80s that have an optimistic outlook and are grateful for what they have, and they look like they're in their 50s. Now, I'm not saying it's all because of optimism, but it's just one of the observations that I've noticed, and maybe you've noticed the same thing as well. Now, there was another study in the journal Personality and Social Psychology that found that optimistic people tend to have lower levels of inflammation and stronger immune responses, both of which to link to better brain health and slower neurodegeneration. Now, here's what's fascinating for those of us that have Parkinson's. Positivity isn't just emotional, it's chemical. When we think positively, our brains release both dopamine and serotonin, and they're the same neurotransmitters that affect our mood and our movement. So think about it. When you've won an award or you do something nice for somebody else, or that you do something fun and exciting, you get that shot of dopamine and it makes you feel good. Now, since dopamine depletion is central in Parkinson's, those moments of optimism and joy can actually help us balance our brain chemistry. So, what does that mean? That means that every time you focus on gratitude, you spend time laughing with friends, or you find purpose in life, whether that's doing a hobby or maybe volunteering, helping somebody else out, you're giving your brain a small but meaningful boost. Now, this connects directly to neuroplasticity. And you've heard me talk about that ad infinitum, but it's the brain's ability to rewire and adapt. And research from the Harvard Medical School and Stanford University has shown that practices like gratitude, journaling, mindfulness, and positive social interaction strengthen your neural pathways that are associated with resilience and well-being. So, really, optimism isn't just in your head, it's also in your brain. So you're literally training your mind and your body to function better. So, how do we build positivity in everyday life? That's always the big question. And how can you make positivity a part of your daily life with Parkinson's? So, let's talk about some practical strategies that have worked for me and for many others in the Parkinson's community. And the first one is start your day with intention. So before you even get out of bed, take a few deep breaths and ask yourself, what's one good thing I'm looking forward to today? It could be you're looking forward to going for a walk with a friend. Maybe it's you're making a phone call with a friend that you haven't talked to in a while. Maybe you're having people over for dinner and you're looking forward to a great meal. So it's anything that shifts your focus toward hope instead of laying there worrying about what can or can't happen. All right, second, practice gratitude. And you can do this in a number of ways. Every night you can write down three good things about your day. They don't have to be big. Maybe, you know, I made it to exercise class today. I saw the sunset, or my medication worked well today. Anything that you can be grateful for. I got to see my grandkids, or I act I got to do one of my favorite hobbies, I got to go fly fishing today. And then over time, this is going to rewire your brain to spot the positives automatically. Now, one of the things I did when I did cognitive behavioral draining was you can also write down negative thoughts and negative thought patterns and then replace it with positive ones. And what this does, it helps you retrain your brain to be more positive and more optimistic. Now, another way to practice gratitude, if you don't want to do it in the evening, some people do it when they wake up, they write down three things that they're grateful for today. And that's a great way to start your day off as well. Next up is move your body. Ah, yes, my favorite, and I know what you're thinking. You're saying, don't say it, Chris, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Yes, exercise. Exercise boosts endorphins and dopamine, which are your natural mood lifters. So whether you like to do a peddling for Parkinson's class, whether you like to go walking with friends, maybe you're doing a boxing class, or you just like to dance. Physical movement is one of the best ways that you can fight both depression and disease progression. So get out there and move that body. I mean, I've said it hundreds of times, and I know you probably hate me for it, but exercise really does go a long way in helping you on your Parkinson's journey. Number four, stay socially connected. Positivity grows when we can share it. You know, you've heard the saying pay it forward. Parkinson's can make you want to isolate, but social interaction is going to keep your brain active and your mood balanced. So join a support group, join a group fitness class where you all get together and work out, or just grab a cup of coffee with a friend and sit and talk about what's going on. Staying connected is really going to help you in the long run because it's going to prevent social isolation and it's also going to make you feel good. Number five, reframe challenges. Instead of saying I can't, you can say, How can I? Now, I have two phrases that I really don't allow in my vocabulary, and they're the words I can't and it will never happen. When you say you can't, then you won't be able to. Always give it a try and do it the best you can. You're not going to be perfect. I'm not perfect, but at least I'm willing to give it a try and do the best I can. So I don't like to say I can't because I think we can all learn something. We just have to be able to put our mind to it and figure out how we're going to overcome the the challenges or what modifications can I use to be able to do it. And second of all, when you say, Oh, that's never going to happen, then you're already setting yourself up for failure. Always give it a try. How can I overcome the challenges? And what can I do to modify to be able to do the things that I want to do? And you really might surprise yourself. I know when I first started learning to play guitar, I was thinking to myself, this is really going to be challenging, making these different chord shapes with my bad hand that has the tremors on, and then learning how to try to strum and switch chords at the same time. But I broke it down into small pieces, and now I can play the guitar and I feel good about myself. So you want to celebrate those wins as well. So just remember that the small shift in language is going to keep your brain searching for solutions 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 and comedians, and I just love to sit around and laugh. Laughter, they, as they say, is the best medicine. And then also practice breathing, whether it be focused breathing, and then try meditation. I know people struggle with it, but it's a great way to reduce stress and help you look be grateful for what you have in life. So reducing stress is going to lower your cortisol, which is the flate or flight hormone, and that can worsen tremors and your fatigue. So if you can reduce the cortisol through laughing, meditation, and deep breathing techniques, it's going to help in the long run. So just remember positivity is like exercise, it's a muscle. The more you use it, the more you practice, the stronger it becomes. And just to reinforce this, I want to give you a real life story. I met a friend in one of my peddling for Parkinson's classes. And when he first joined, he could barely get through 10 minutes without stopping. You know what? But he showed up every week. He had a smile on his face, he was joking around, and he was also encouraging others. And after a few months, he wasn't just riding longer, he was happier. And after class, he came up and told me, you know, he said, Chris, I used to think my best days were behind me. He said, now I wake up excited to see what I can do next. And that's the power of positivity in action. He didn't change his fitness, he changed his outlook. And that outlook changed his life. He realized, I'm going to show up, I'm going to do the best I can. And in the long run, it it led to a happier and healthier life for him. All right, so here's the truth Positivity isn't going to make your Parkinson's disappear. I'm not here to say that, but it will make your journey richer, more meaningful, and more connected. So every day you choose optimism, you strengthen your brain, your body, and your spirit. So today I want to challenge you. Find one thing to be grateful for right now. Maybe it's your morning coffee, your spouses or your friends smile, or the fact that you're still here, listening and learning, still moving forward. Maybe it's spending time with your grandkids. Maybe it's a big trip that you're that you've just finished. Whatever it happens to be, look for something that you're grateful for. And remember that you're stronger than you think, and your mindset is one of the greatest tools that you have. The mind is a very powerful thing. So if you enjoyed today's episode and want more inspiration, I ask you to visit LiveParkinsons.com and subscribe to the free monthly newsletter. You'll get practical tools, mindset strategies, and stories that are going to help you live your best life with Parkinson's. Plus, you'll be part of a great community. And if you'd like to help support this mission and keep the podcast going, you can visit Kofi.com slash Live Parkinson's or my Buzz Sprout page and click the support the show. Every contribution, big or small, really does make a difference in helping me keep resources free and available to everybody. And if you'd like to learn more about my personal journey and the four strategies that I've helped me thrive over the last 15 years, check out my book, Spectacular Life, Four Essential Strategies for Living with Parkinson's Disease that's available on Amazon. And I talk a lot about positivity and optimism in that book. And I want to thank you for joining me today. And remember, stay active, stay positive, and always live exceptional. Be the person that you want to be and don't let challenges get in your way. Thanks again for listening, and I hope to see you soon.