Hi ,

As the year comes to a close, I want to share something that shapes many health outcomes I see in my practice.

It is not only what we eat or how much we move, though those matter. It is something I call health optimism (I am still looking for a better term): the belief that, no matter how serious a condition is, there is always something we can do to feel better.

This is not a promise that every illness can be cured. It is a reminder that symptoms can often improve, and life can feel easier than it does today.

After years of practising functional medicine, I have become convinced of one thing: most health conditions improve when we work on the basics. Food choices that nourish us, better sleep, stress resilience, therapeutic supplements, appropriate prescription medications and movement that fits our body and circumstances- all of this can change how we feel.

The deeper question is this: do we believe our actions matter? Do we see ourselves as active participants in shaping our wellbeing, or passive recipients of whatever ageing and illness bring?

Health optimism is not about denying difficulty. It is about recognizing that what we do today influences how we feel tomorrow.

Positive beliefs about ageing can lower genetic risk.

In one study, researchers looked at people who carry the APOE ε4 gene, a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Among these people, those with more positive age beliefs were 49.8% less likely to develop dementia than those with negative age beliefs.

So, can we build health optimism if we are not naturally optimistic, especially when we live with chronic pain, low energy, or limited mobility?

Psychologist Albert Bandura described four sources of self-efficacy: seeing others like us succeed, encouragement from trusted people, learning to interpret body signals in a more helpful way, and, most importantly, enactive mastery: learning by doing.

We do not build health optimism by forcing positive thoughts. We build it through successful experiences, and that means setting ourselves up to win.

If I am not confident I can exercise hard for 30 minutes, five days a week, and I sign up for a full year at the gym, I may end up discouraged and stuck. A better approach is starting with something that feels doable, such as a Tiny Habit: after I turn on my tea kettle, I do two dumbbell curls, then I celebrate. That tiny success makes repetition more likely.

Or consider someone with diabetes who feels overwhelmed by food choices. Instead of changing everything, they add protein at breakfast three days this week. They notice fewer energy crashes or lower post-meal glucose levels than before. That evidence builds a new belief: “What I do changes my results.”

I am sure you have heard that many New Year's resolutions fail. I think the problem is that most people do not have a reliable system of behaviour change.

People tend to rely on extreme motivation and willpower--both of which are unreliable.

If we want the new year to be different, we need a different approach, such as the Tiny Habits method of behaviour change.

Join me for the next Tiny Habits Program starting in January 2026: Tiny Habits for Better Blood Pressure and Brain Health.

Happy Holidays!

Best regards,

Shabnam

Dr. Shabnam Das Kar, MD

Functional Medicine Doctor

Tiny Habits Coach

Email: [email protected]