Your Mindset Matters

Did you know that research has proven that the way we talk to ourselves influences our health at the cellular level? Our cells are listening to every thought we have, even if we don’t speak it, and even if we don’t truly believe it. The cells in our brain create the thoughts of our mind and share these thoughts with every other cell in the body.

What we can all accomplish through our mindset is quite amazing. For example, the first smartphone was created because Frank Canova at IBM thought it into existence in 1992. Where the inspiration came from is not as important as the belief that it could happen. That belief is what made up his mindset that it was possible. Had he not believed it was possible, he probably would have given up trying.

Our mindset with our health is very similar. If we think we are going to be healthy, it’s more likely to happen. If we think it’s too hard to be healthy or we are simply too unhealthy to do anything about it, we make it that much harder on ourselves to achieve better health. Studies have shown that people can influence their chances of getting cancer simply by believing they will or they won’t. Two people with the same statistical chances can have different results simply because of their mindset.

There have been many documented cases of healthy people dying just months after their spouse passed away. Those around them often comment that “she just couldn’t see herself living after her husband passed away.” They may have been physically healthy but their mindset was one in which they couldn’t grasp the idea of being alone. While I agree that their sorrow was great, the mindset to give up was greater.

What should we do when we find ourselves with negative thought patterns or a poor mindset? After we have identified the issue, we need to pause what we are doing or thinking and ask ourselves a simple question. Is this really who I think I am or is this my reaction to a situation I wasn’t expecting?

It takes some awareness and some practice but when you identify the thought, ask the question, and answer it honestly…you might just see a shift in your behaviors towards some healthy habits.