Positive Mindset and Energy
TLDR - Your positive or negative mindset will have a significant impact in your health journey. When used correctly, it has the ability to give your body energy and alter gene expression.
Expanded
A positive mindset may be one of the most important components of your health journey. It impacts various aspects of your well being, including stress levels, mitochondrial efficiency, immune system function, gene expression, and much more. If you believe you will be sick forever, your body may respond accordingly, perpetuating illness. Conversely, if you believe you are healing, your body has the ability to upregulate and downregulate genes to facilitate that belief.
We all know that person who is always full of energy. How do they do that? While there are many factors at play, a positive mindset truly has the ability to create positive change in your body and contribute to a charged and healthy body battery.
Stress and Mitochondrial Efficiency: Your mindset directly affects stress levels. Chronic stress impairs mitochondrial function. A positive mindset mitigates stress, enhancing mitochondrial efficiency. Efficient mitochondria are essential for powering all bodily processes, including healing and immune function.
Boosting Immune System Function: A positive mindset bolsters your immune system. Research indicates that optimism and positive emotions correlate with better immune responses. Individuals with positive outlooks often show higher levels of protective antibodies.
Influencing Gene Expression: Your mindset influences gene expression, a phenomenon known as epigenetics. Positive beliefs and emotions can upregulate genes associated with health and downregulate those linked to disease. This means that fostering a healing mindset can actually alter your body at a molecular level, promoting recovery and resilience.
Real Life Examples
If you are around sick people and worry that you will become sick, your mindset can influence the outcome. If you believe your body is strong and can handle it, you are less likely to get sick. While physical factors are certainly at play, your mind absolutely has an impact on your health.
If you come into contact with a pollutant and become stressed and concerned, the added stress can make your body less capable of handling the toxin and detoxifying it quickly and effectively.
If you maintain a consistently positive mindset, your body will act stronger and be better able to handle the challenges around you. Positive emotions are stored as memories in your body, making it easier to experience positive emotions in the future. Conversely, negative emotions are also stored and can lead to a cycle of negativity that is difficult to break. This creates either a positive or negative mindset cycle. For more information, refer to the post on emotional storage.
Breaking the Negative Cycle
If you live your life in the same way, following the same routine that you have associated with negative feelings, you can get trapped in a cycle of negativity. Fortunately, you have the power to take control of your emotions and mood:
Mindfulness and Meditation: Practicing mindfulness and meditation can help you become more aware of your emotions and shift towards a positive mindset.
Positive Affirmations: Repeating positive affirmations can help rewire your brain to focus on the good aspects of your life.
Gratitude Practice: Regularly acknowledging things you are grateful for can help reinforce positive feelings.
Physical Activity: Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters.
Healthy Social Connections: Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who uplift you.
Learning from Experts
Dr. Joe Dispenza’s books and meditations provide valuable insights into how emotions and mindsets influence physical health. He explains the science behind the mind body connection and offers practical tools to help reset your mindset. Engaging with his work can be a helpful step in your journey towards a positive mindset and better health.
Link to Joe Dispenza examples
Patience and Persistence
Remember, developing a positive mindset is not an overnight process. It requires practice and consistency, much like learning a new skill or building physical strength through exercise. With patience and dedication, you can cultivate a positive mindset that supports your overall health.
Neurotransmitter Impact
Note that if you are far out of homeostasis and your body is filled with inflammation or lacking in neurotransmitter production, it may be challenging to maintain a positive mood. You may need to focus on foundational practices to boost your body's ability to produce neurotransmitters, which will then give you the building blocks to produce a positive mindset. While the saying "mind over matter" holds some truth, there is also a significant physical component. Changing your mindset will be significantly easier if you practice the foundational health habits and support neurotransmitter production.