This article originally appeared as a thread on twitter. You can view it here.
Much has been said about the power of positive thinking. But, at the risk of generalizing, most of us don’t often stop to appreciate how powerful the connection between our minds and our bodies truly is...
...so let’s do a quick thread of appreciation for a super power that we all share, but so often take for granted: the awesome healing power of our minds!
Adherents of positive psychology believe that our thoughts and attitudes can shape our experiences; that there is a direct connection between our happiness and personal welfare, and our ability to keep a positive attitude in relation to our lives and experiences.
This fundamental concept is so embedded in our everyday language that references to it border on cliche…
...we encourage people to “stay positive” and “keep their heads up” in the same way we reflexively offer up “thoughts and prayers” or send “positive vibes” to friends during difficult times.
Despite our good intentions, these platitudes often ring hollow. But the fact is that those words — and our mindset — have real power.
One of the best known (although not entirely understood) examples of our minds’ power over our bodies is the placebo effect, which shows that simply by believing that our actions can improve our health and well being, we can make it so. Which, as the video says so eloquently, is pretty freakin weird!
The power of belief is just one way that our minds create medicine. But it’s not the only way. Research suggests that storytelling — in particular the stories we tell ourselves, about our experiences and their meaning — can have powerful therapeutic effects too.
“Illness, treatment and/or death challenge those who are affected to construct meanings that create a tolerable narrative for what appears to be inexplicable...storytelling can help people to successfully cope with and reframe illness.”
Storytelling can help us cope and find meaning in unexpected or unwelcome experiences (like a cancer diagnosis). And sharing our own story, through journaling, talk therapy, or in support groups, can help us process difficult emotions, and persevere through physical adversity.
Whether we judge an experience as good or bad is often just a question of perspective, and our ability to find silver linings in unfortunate circumstances, as this short video illustrates beautifully.
Finally, Researchers at Social and Affective Neuroscience Lab at the University of Oregon have discovered a fascinating link between identity and behavior change...
In a paper titled “Finding the ‘self’ in self-regulation: The identity-value model” the authors make the case that “goal-directed behaviors that are identity relevant are more likely to be enacted because they have greater subjective value than identity-irrelevant behaviors.”
In other words: our concept of “who we are” impacts our ability to adopt healthy behaviors. If we view health and well being as core to our identity, it’s more likely that we will make healthy choices.
The authors conclude: “if the central challenge in the war on self-regulation is to sustain motivation throughout a prolonged series of battles, then, by its enduring nature identity may prove to be a powerful weapon.”
The things that we believe to be true; the stories we tell ourselves about our lives and our experiences; and the way we view ourselves and our identity — are all powerful examples of the power of our minds over our physical bodies.
Perhaps Henry Ford said it best: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t — you’re right.”
Take the lead. Form your team. Make a plan. Tap into the awesome, healing power of your mind, and put CareCanvas to work for you.
Photo by @nate_dumlao