How to reduce cell damage and increase longevity

Your cells are “listening to your life.” How to send the right messages.

Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of your chromosomes, a bit like the plastic tips on shoelaces that keep them from fraying.

Why should you give a shit about this seemingly irrelevant bit of biological arcana?

Because the length of your telomeres is a key marker of biological aging. Shorter telomeres are linked to higher risk of diseases like heart disease, cancer, and dementia.

So, how do you protect your telomeres? One massively important lever is reducing your stress. Which, I know… easier said than done.

Here are five simple tips from Elissa Epel, the scientist who literally wrote the book on telomeres:

• Meditate the bare minimum. One of the questions I get most often is, “What’s the minimum amount of meditation I can do and still see a benefit?” Elissa’s research offers some good news: in a study she led, even five minutes a day for eight weeks reduced burnout, depression, and stress — with benefits lasting months.

• Dial down your breath. Even a few minutes of slow, rhythmic breathing (about six breaths per minute) can flip your nervous system into recovery mode. One of my favorite methods: “straw breathing” — inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale slowly through pursed lips as if blowing through a straw.

• Flip the script on stress. See if you can reframe stressors as challenges instead of threats. That cognitive shift can sharpen focus, speed recovery, and even keep your cells healthier. For example, if you find your heart racing before a big meeting, tell yourself “This is my body getting ready to crush it.”

• Take a “stress inventory.” Write down every stressor nagging your brain. Then circle the ones you can act on, and put a box around the ones you can’t. Just seeing it laid out can be a relief in itself. It also helps you to focus your energy where it can actually make a difference, and let go of the rest.

• Bookend your day with joy. Or as Elissa puts it: “Start and end your day full.” In the morning, ask yourself what you’re looking forward to. At night, replay moments of gratitude, connection, or awe. These tiny bookends build resilience and make stressors easier to handle.

For more science-backed ways to stress less, check out today’s episode of 10% Happier with Elissa, where we get into the surprising ways your mindset, habits, and breath can literally change your cells.

I’m also excited to introduce you to our September teacher of the month, Vinny Ferraro. As part of our paid subscriber offering, you’ll get a companion meditation from him with every Monday and Wednesday episode this month. Today’s meditation is all about how to handle stress by noticing how it shows up in your body, meeting it with kindness, and tapping into the resilience underneath.

A reminder: Starting this month, paid subscribers can join us for weekly live sessions. Up until now, we’ve gone live once or twice a month. Now, every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET, you can join a live meditation and Q&A with our meditation Teacher of the Month and/or me.

First up: Vinny and I will be going live tomorrow, Sept. 2 at 4:00 p.m. ET—for paid subscribers. Vinny will guide a meditation and then we’ll answer your questions. Hope to see you there.

On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5 p.m. ET, join me and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as we lead a workshop called “Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety.” This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!

Episode cheatsheet

The big takeaway

Dr. Elissa Epel, a leading researcher on stress and aging, dives into how chronic stress can literally age you on a cellular level—but also shows how simple, sustainable daily habits can reverse the damage. The big idea: Our cells are “listening” to our lives, and by tweaking our routines, mindset, and recovery practices, we have far more control over our healthspan and longevity than we might think.

Hit the brakes on aging: Stress, telomeres & cellular health

• Stress isn’t just a mental burden—it wears down our telomeres (those protective caps on your chromosomes), leading to premature aging and inflammation.

• You can reverse and slow this damage with small, do-able lifestyle tweaks. Little choices add up big over decades.

• Deep rest and restoration (not just sleep!) are critical for cellular repair—think daily breaks, mindful breathwork, and periodic "resets" like retreats if you can swing one.

• Meditation, even just five minutes a day, and simple breathing practices can dramatically reset your nervous system and build resilience.

6 simple ways to protect your DNA and feel better, daily: