Our minds are powerful. They can solve complex problems, help us stay safe from predators, help us dream big dreams… and make us sick. What?! Yes!
Our minds have a great influence on how we manage stress. With the right mindset, stress can come and go without too much impact on the body. Without the right mindset, stress can trigger physical reactions that may seem unconnected to our thoughts, but actually are directly related.
Some typical physical expressions of stress are:
- Headaches
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea
- Skin issues
- Anxiety
- And more
These symptoms may come before, after, or during stressful times and turn your focus from root causes – thoughts in your mind – to the body. Plenty of doctor’s visits are initiated to look at the manifestations of stress, which are physical and fail to evaluate the cause of stress, which is psychological.
Your mind might be contributing to your illness
Studies have shown that even chronic illnesses might be contributed to the mind rather than a breakdown in the body. When the mind is depressed, stressed out, or living in a state of anxiety, the body is more prone to illness. Likewise, chronic pain or illness can also affect mindset. Before you know it, the mind and body are feeding into one another, fostering and prolonging illnesses.
If you are experiencing chronic pain or illness, it might be more than a virus. It’s important to go to the physician to explore physical reasons for illness, but don’t forget to include a mental health checkup, too. Connecting with someone who can screen for mindset issues might alert you that there are outside forces contributing to your physical health. Treat your mind and body for optimal health.
What you think about, you bring about
Your mind is powerful. How you think about things can directly influence your reality. How you think about stress, overwhelming issues, or manage life will directly express itself in your day-to-day living. You might be making yourself ill with your thoughts.
If you suffer from frequent bouts of anxiety, digestive issues, painful tension headaches, and other triggered health issues, it could be in your mind. The good news is, since what you think about you bring about, you can change your mindset and change how your thinking influences your body. Learning to manage stress and finding outlets for anxiety, fear, and anger can all improve your overall physical and mental health.
