The brain is a complex and intricate organ that functions as the control center for our bodies and regulates our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Considering the power of the mind, the psychology of the mind has a direct influence on our physiological health, amongst other things. Studies have shown that your mindset can affect your health.
What is meant by mindset?
One’s mindset is a set of beliefs and self-perceptions that influence how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences the way you think, feel, and behave in any given situation. Mindset also refers to a characteristic mental attitude that determines how you interpret and respond to situations and is highly relevant to the way you respond to health issues.
As our mindsets are ingrained with beliefs and attitudes about ourselves and the world around us, it plays a crucial role in determining our choices and behaviors.
The good news is that mindsets are highly changeable and if you are willing to learn how to change your mindset, you can defeat distorted thoughts and experience significantly more happiness.
Type of mindsets:
Dr Carol Dweck, professor and researcher at Harvard Medical School, has coined the terms “fixed” and “growth” mindsets to describe belief systems about the individual’s ability to change, grow, and develop over time.
Fixed mindset: If you believe your qualities are essentially unchangeable or “fixed”, it can be hard to work through perceived weaknesses, because the ability to change may seem as hopeless as changing your eye color, for example. With a fixed mindset, you believe that your abilities are unchangeable.
Growth mindset: With a growth mindset you know that you can change over time and are more open to learning and to grow from challenges. Failures are less threatening, as you are more willing to embrace them as challenges. People who believe in their ability to develop skills and abilities are more likely to have a desire to learn and persist in the face of challenges and can achieve better health outcomes.
Mindset and health:
Studies have shown that the power of one’s mindset is so strong that it influences our physiological health, as our minds are interconnected to our bodies. An individual with a growth mindset who is open to new ideas has a greater capacity to improve their health, while those with a fixed mindset during diagnosis and treatment for a health condition are less likely to see improvement.
One can manipulate the mind to think in ways that are either beneficial (growth) or detrimental (fixed) to one’s health. Having a positive mindset can positively influence physiological health, as one’s mindset can be a catalyst for either negative or positive change. Positive thinking is the conscious act of finding the positive side of any encounter.
A positive mindset helps to manage stress, as chronic stress can weaken the immune system and worsen chronic diseases. Positive people have stronger immune systems and are less likely to get sick. Positive thinking has also been linked to lower blood pressure, which reduces the risk of heart disease. A positive mindset can help to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
A negative mindset can lead to chronic stress, resulting in a weakened or suppressed immune system, inflammation in the body, and digestive issues, making you more susceptible to illnesses. Negative thinking can raise blood pressure, which contributes to cardiovascular diseases. A negative mindset can worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as other mental health conditions.
The mindset-health connection can influence the brain’s ability to adapt and change (called neuroplasticity), which can affect one’s health, including hormonal production, such as the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. A positive mindset can encourage positive actions, such as following a healthy diet, doing regular exercise, and getting adequate sleep.
Positive feelings. Studies have shown that people who feel positive have better mitochondrial health than people with a negative outlook. Virtually all the cells in the human body have hundreds to thousands of small components, called mitochondria, that supply energy for virtually all processes taking place in the body, basically keeping us alive. Feeling more positive and having more positive experiences can directly influence mitochondrial biology.
The placebo effect:
The placebo effect is a phenomenon in medicine where a patient experiences an improvement in his or her condition after receiving an intervention or treatment that has no real therapeutic effect. A patient would be given an inactive substance or treatment, such as a sugar pill, or sham treatment where the doctor goes through the motions without actually performing the treatment.
The placebo effect is deemed to be due to the brain’s response to the treatment, rather than the treatment itself. The brain can release chemicals that produce a positive response when the brain expects to benefit from a treatment, such as pain relief or improved mood.
Various factors can influence the placebo effect, such as the patient’s expectations about the treatment, the patient’s belief in the treatment’s effectiveness, classical conditioning, social learning such as observing others who experienced a positive outcome, as well as brain chemistry where the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and endorphins can contribute to the placebo effect.
The placebo effect highlights the intricate relationship between the brain, body, and environment in shaping one’s experiences and outcomes. It can contribute to the effectiveness of treatments and assist healthcare providers to develop more effective strategies that incorporate psychological and social factors.
The opposite of the placebo effect is called the nocebo effect, in which mindsets can lead to negative effects. An example in this regard is when patients have a heightened pain response after being told that an injection will hurt, or when they experience an increased presence of side effects after being told about possible side effects and the patient believes he or she will [get the side effects.
Generally, an individual’s perception of their physiological health may result from the influence of their mentality, adapted by social and environmental factors. The mindset is mighty and can influence one’s health positively or negatively.
Changing your mindset:
Cultivating the practice of positive thinking while dealing with an illness or other medical condition can result in a better quality of life and improved health outcomes. Positive thinking refers to the conscious act of finding the positive side of an occurrence or encounter.
Dr Eric Kim at Harvard Medical School studies the phenomenon of positive thoughts and positive attitudes (also known as positive thinking) and says that when comparing the most optimistic people to the least optimistic ones, the most optimistic ones have a reduced risk of dying from infection, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung disease.
Researchers and doctors have highlighted the importance and power of a patient’s mindset on their physiological health. Just as important is the health care provider’s bedside manners, as it can influence what patients think and expect of treatments, which can influence health outcomes. Harvard says medical schools should develop more training that helps students and residents to use their personal strengths to connect with patients and learn the best ways to harness a patient’s mindset.
How to cultivate a positive mindset:
Cultivating a positive mindset is a journey that takes time, effort, and persistence.
Practicing gratitude is the act of being thankful for what you have. Start the day with a positive affirmation, such as “today will be a good day.” Keep a daily gratitude journal to write down three things you are thankful for. Share gratitude with other people by expressing appreciation to someone you interact with.
Rethink negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations. Visualizing positive outcomes helps to prevent looking at worst-case scenarios. By becoming aware of your inner dialogue, you can challenge negative thoughts. Focus on the present to avoid getting caught up in a thought spiral of past regrets and future worries.
Develop a growth mindset by embracing challenges and viewing obstacles as opportunities for growth and learning. Analize setbacks to use them as steppingstones for improvement. Try to focus on progress and celebrate small wins.
Nurture positive relationships by surrounding yourself with positive people and treating others with compassion and kindness, including showing a genuine interest in their lives. Helping others is a feeling-good activity that can shift your mindset towards optimism.
Practice self-care and take care of your physical health through regular exercise, eating a nutritious balanced diet, and getting enough sleep of 7-9 hours every night.
Practice mindfulness and meditation. The Mayo Clinic describes mindfulness as a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you are sensing and feeling at the moment, without any interpretation of judgement. This practice involves, amongst others, breathing exercises to relax the body and the mind. Meditation can help one to experience thoughts and emotions with greater balance and acceptance.
Celebrate your successes by first setting achievable goals and turning mistakes or failures into lessons on how to improve next time. Acknowledge your achievements and treat yourself by doing something enjoyable.
Cultivating a positive mindset is a journey that needs dedication from you and will take time and effort to achieve. This journey can be life changing.
Conclusion:
Mindset matters, especially in terms of health, as it can affect one’s quality of life in either a positive or negative way, depending on your mindset.
Although a positive and healthy mindset is no guarantee against illness and cannot cure or prevent a disease, it can certainly contribute to a more resilient body and mind, leading to improving overall health and well-being.
References:
Your powerful, changeable mindset. Published 15 September 2021. Stanford Report. Stanford Medical School. (www.news.stanford.edu)
Psychological exploration of the power of our mindset and its influence on physiological health. Published 18 January 2024 in the journal Cureus (16:1). PubMed Central. National Centre for Biotechnology Information. US National Library for Medicine. National Institutes of Health. USA. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Harnessing the power of mindset interventions in health promotion. Published 22 January 2024 in Journal of Education and Health Promotion (12:461). PubMed Central. National Centre for Biotechnology Information. US National Library for Medicine. National Institutes of Health. USA. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Patient mindset matters in healing and deserves more study, experts say. Published 8 March 2017. Stanford Medicine. Stanford Medical School. (www.med.stanford.edu)
The power of positive thinking; How mindset affects health and success. Published 6 September 2023 by Florian Schroeder, writer and presenter, on Medium. (A platform for writers.) (www.medium.com)
What is a mindset and why it matters. Published online and updated 23 June 2024. Verywellmind. (www.verywellmind.com)
Mindfulness exercises. Published 11 October 2022. Mayo Clinic. USA. (www.mayoclinic.org)
HEALTH INSIGHT
