Living Well And Healthy, Part 17

Our Mental and Physical Health.  Healthwise calls it “mind-body connection.”  Medical science, continues Healthwise, is making remarkable discoveries about the relationship between your state of mind and your mental and physical health.

Researchers have found that one function of the brain is to produce substances that can improve your health.  Your brain can create endorphins, which are natural painkillers; gamma globulin for fortifying your immune system; and interferon for combating infections, viruses, and even cancer.  Your brain can combine these and other substances into a vast number of tailor-made prescriptions for whatever ails you.

The substances that your brain produces depend in part on your thoughts, feelings and expectations.  If your attitude about an illness (or life in general) is negative and you don’t have expectations that your condition will get better, your brain may not produce enough of the substances your body needs to heal.  On the other hand, if your attitude and expectations are more positive, your brain is likely to produce sufficient amounts of the substances that will boost your body’s healing power.

Your physical health also has an impact on your brain's ability to produce substances that affect your mental well-being.  An illness or injury that causes long-term physical stress can lead to chemical imbalances in the brain which may lead to depression and other mental health problems.

Positive Thinking.  People with positive attitudes generally enjoy life more, but are they any healthier? The answer is often “yes.”  Optimism is a resource for healing.  Optimists are more likely to overcome pain and adversity in their efforts to improve their medical treatment outcomes.  Your body responds to your thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Changing your expectations from negative to positive may enhance your physical health. Here’s how to make the change as Healthwise suggests:

• Stop negative self-talk.  Make positive statements that promote your recovery.
• Send yourself a steady stream of affirmations.  An affirmation is a phrase or sentence that sends strong, positive statements to you about yourself, such as “I am a capable person.” 
• Visualize health and healing. Add mental pictures that support your positive affirmations.
• Don’t feel guilty.  There is no value in feeling guilty about health problems.  While there is a lot you can do to reduce your risk for health problems and improve your chance of recovery, some illnesses may develop and persist no matter what you do.  Some things just are.  Do the best you can. 

(More tips about how positive emotions can boost your health will appear on Monday, 22 July 2013. – J.P.)