Mind over Matter: the Key to Defeating Anxiety, Depression, and DIS-ease

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”— Willie Nelson

“You is Smart, You is Kind, You is Important” The loving words of encouragement spoken by the nanny to the little girl constantly berated by her mother in the movie “The Help,” is a powerful scene showing the power of words.

The words we speak to ourselves via our “self-talk” or thoughts are profoundly powerful dramatically affecting our health and well-being.  Our genes respond to our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.

Every time we have a thought our brain releases chemicals either for good or harm.  If we are constantly thinking negative thoughts, our brain will stimulate the production of chemicals that will result in negative body symptoms and also diminish the activity of our higher brain centers that govern judgment, memory, and learning.

Conversely, if we are thinking positive thoughts of gratitude, hope, love, and joyful anticipation health will be created.

Moment by moment you are changing the structure of your brain and the function of your body through your thinking.  We are not helpless victims of our circumstances or our genetic predispositions.  We have the power by our very thoughts to up-regulate positive biochemical pathways and the converse of course is also true.

Our mental response to the circumstances of our life has an enormous impact on our mental and physical health.

Mind over Matter

Dr. Daniel Amen a world-renowned Psychiatrist and Clinical Neuroscientist coined the term ANTs- Automatic Negative Thoughts to describe how negative thoughts can literally infest our minds and steal our joy and happiness.

So, if we want to exterminate toxic ANTs we need to develop an ANT-eater approach to guarding our thoughts and the focus of our minds. Toxic thoughts create stress that robs us of our best life.

The antidote to ANTs is to keep your conscious mind busy with expecting health and healing and your subconscious mind faithfully reproduce what you are habitually thinking.  We can literally change the physical nature of our brain through our patterns of thinking and choosing.

The scientific term for this phenomenon is Neuroplasticity-new thought networks grow, bringing healing to our minds and physical bodies.

The power of our thought life is not to be underestimated, as every thought we have is either toxic or curative.  Research continues to provide evidence that mental, physical, and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life.

PRACTICAL STEPS to DETOX YOUR THOUGHT LIFE:

• Practice Guided Imagery
  • https://functionalmedicine.widencollective.com/portals/tgfxqfr3/ToolkitMindfulnessandMeditation

• Practice Gratitude and Thanksgiving
  • Keep a gratitude journal writing down-I am grateful for_______ x 3 per day.  Practicing Gratitude is one of the most powerful weapons to challenge negative thinking and helps you clarify what you value most.
    https://functionalmedicine.widencollective.com/portals/tgfxqfr3/ToolkitMindfulnessandMeditation.
  • Pausing before meals to breathe and give thanks will stimulate your Para-sympathetic nervous system, which promotes “rest and digest”. Practice mindful eating, being aware of the colors, odors, taste, and texture of the meals.
• Spend time in nature and the woods for Vitamin N
  https://www.healthline.com/health-news/spending-two-hours-a-week-in-nature-can-help-your-health#How-much-time-in-nature-do-you-need?
• Practice Breath Work Techniques
  • Proper breathing techniques are beneficial for both physical and emotional health as these exercises help control random and runaway thoughts, improve the clarity of thought and enhance a sense of peace and calm.
    https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/breathing-exercises-4-7-8-breath/
• Find your tribe and eliminate negative people.
• Turn off the news and take media fast.
• Laugh More!

Now repeat after me:

“ I am strong, I am healthy, and I will overcome adversity”