I LOVE the mindset topic! Next to nutrition, it’s one of my faves!
In the 18 years since I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, I have had to find many ways to tweak my mindset so I didn’t feel like I was falling off of an emotional cliff. There were MANY days I bawled my eyes out because I just couldn’t see the silver lining….the only lining I saw had the words “failure”, “broken”, “sick” written all over it!! It was bad! However, once I started to study mindset, I began to slowly pick myself up. It took me a while to realize the power of the mind-body connection in the healing process. So, for me being the Type A person I am, the last thing I wanted was to know I was intentionally making things worse for myself by being sad, angry and disappointed in myself for “getting sick”.
Here is a shortlist of the tips I love:
1. Language
When you speak out loud, it is 10x more powerful than if you think it. If you speak NEGATIVELY it is a multiple of 4-7 times more powerful than positive thinking….so If you say something negatively out loud, it is 40-70% more likely that it will happen than if you don’t say anything at all. LANGUAGE IS POWERFUL!
2. Self talk
Aim for judgment-free thinking: NO ROOM TO BE EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE TOWARD YOURSELF
- This one took A-W-H-I-L-E for me to grow out of. I had been doing it for so long, as in clear back to elementary school, that it took me lots of script-flipping to turn this around.
- Your mind is powerful. It has the ability to help you heal you or to harm you. The great news here is…..YOU GET TO DECIDE!
3. Don’t give up your power
If we let ourselves get caught up in our emotions, and feelings of despair, or anger/bitterness about a particular situation, whether it be health-related, emotional, financial, or physical we can spiral right into learned helplessness. Learned helpless means you believe you are powerless or lack any control over a situation. Believing you lack any power or control over your decisions, mindset and to some extent certain situations, is a butt-kicker. When you become helpless you become hopeless. You have to believe you can influence your future no matter what you are facing.
3. Make hope a habit
This is where I encourage clients to put hope out front by reflecting on their past successes. Reflect on a past Peak State…..when you felt strong, healthy, and in control of your health circumstances.
Why? When you feel hopeful, you can be helpful to yourself.
When I practice making hope a habit, it’s easier to zero in on getting back to my peak state. It keeps me at that 20,000 ft view of life instead of down in the weeds where I can’t keep a good perspective. I intentionally focus on this when I take my long walks. It generally involves a pep talk….out loud….in a British accent. No joke. lol!! It cracks me up and makes me feel better all at the same time!! I also take a few minutes to focus on my hope habit during my morning routine, or while I journal before bed.
Habits are powerful! They create a neurological craving within us. Why not make that craving lead to a reward that benefits us mentally, physically and emotionally? Imagine how powerful you become when hope becomes your habit!
4. BEHAVIOR is way ahead of your success
Too many people, especially if they are in a non-optimal state of health, will let their feelings dictate what they do. Therefore, you need to own your behavior and decisions: I am helping my body heal by….. I am becoming my own greatest health advocate, instead of ……” If I eat these veggies I might feel better” or “if I take my medication/supplements regularly I might have a chance to heal…..
*NO “IF’S”. IF’S IMPLY A CHOICE AND GIVES YOUR BRAIN AN OUT.
“I” MAKES A COMMITMENT
5. Set yourself up for success
If you truly want to affect your health, your choices are limited. When you are trying to heal, decisions like poor nutrition, excess drinking, no sleep, excess stress or no longer “choices” for you. Your choice to partake in “excess” becomes limited if you are truly endeavoring in a healing process.
We are responsible for telling ourselves what we are and why we are making those choices.
6. BE PROACTIVE!
Learn as much as you can about your circumstance, and if it’s health-related, don’t be afraid to change course to look at different healing modalities.
BECOME YOUR GREATEST HEALTH ADVOCATE. If you are not sure what that looks like, reach out to a coach or mentor that can help you navigate these waters.
I could go on and on and on and on about mindset! I love it! In the meantime, I hope these few tips are helpful for you in your journey!
In wellness,
xo
Jan