Have you ever considered the impact of your thoughts on your physical wellbeing?
In our busy lives, we often overlook the profound link between our mental state and physical health. While we typically associate health with diet and exercise, there's more to the story. Many people who appear healthy and take good care of their bodies still fall ill, raising the question: Could our thoughts play a more significant role in our health than we think?
Recent research and studies are shedding light on the connection between holistic health and our thoughts, challenging conventional notions of medicine and healthcare. Dr. Lissa Rankin, a pioneer in this field, explores the profound link between mental state and physical health. Understanding this connection can revolutionise how we approach our well-being and lead to happier, healthier lives.
"Our subconscious minds get programmed by the time we're about six, and that 90% to 95% of the time, we're operating from these beliefs of our subconscious mind that are often programmed into us by the time we're six." Dr. Lissa Rankin
One central concept emphasised by Dr. Rankin is the placebo effect. This phenomenon underscores the power of belief in influencing our body's healing capabilities. Dr. Rankin discovered that a positive mindset, coupled with support from a caring healthcare provider, can activate our body's natural self-repair mechanisms. Notably, she also highlights the "nocebo effect," where negative beliefs can harm our health. Numerous studies reveal that negative beliefs about our health, often ingrained in our subconscious minds during childhood, can trigger stress responses within our bodies.
"The mind can not only heal the body, the mind can harm the body." Dr Rankin
The key is not the thoughts themselves but the physiological reactions they induce. The amygdala, a part of our brain, plays a crucial role in this process. It constantly scans for danger and initiates a stress response when it detects a threat, be it a life-threatening situation or something as trivial as a spilled drink. This stress response floods the body with cortisol and epinephrine, raising heart rate and blood pressure, redirecting blood flow to muscles, and preparing for the fight-or-flight response. However, the amygdala cannot differentiate between real threats and perceived ones, like negative thoughts, leading to chronic stress.
The relaxation response, governed by the parasympathetic nervous system, counters this stress response by releasing healing hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine, nitric oxide, and endorphins. Chronic stress, stemming from negative thought patterns, lifestyle, job dissatisfaction, and financial worries, disrupts this balance.
Dr. Rankin explains, "On average, we experience about 50 stress responses per day, and those in stressful jobs or difficult relationships may encounter even more." Each stress response temporarily disables the body's natural self-healing mechanisms. The placebo effect demonstrates that a positive belief combined with nurturing care can calm the amygdala, allowing healing hormones to flourish and the body to self-repair, even with a simple sugar pill.
Research by Dr. Kelly Turner, focusing on those who experienced spontaneous remissions from stage IV cancers, unveils six common behaviours among them. Alongside dietary changes and immune-boosting supplements, four behaviours are related to the mind and spirit. This evidence underscores that true health extends beyond diet and exercise. It encompasses healthy relationships, a flourishing spiritual life, creative expression, financial well-being, and a positive mindset.
Dr. Rankin introduced the concept of the "whole health cairn," where each aspect of life, including relationships, spirituality, and work, can either trigger stress or induce relaxation responses. Strong community bonds have been shown to reduce heart disease rates, while work stress and financial concerns can activate the stress response, detrimental to health.
"I started asking people, “What does your body need in order to heal?” And I started witnessing my patients having these incredible, spontaneous remissions from a whole host of health conditions." Lissa Rankin
In summary, Dr. Rankin's work underscores that our bodies possess natural self-repair mechanisms that operate optimally when our minds are at ease.
To harness the power of our thoughts or better physical health, Dr. Rankin outlines a six-step method:
Believe that healing is possible.
Seek the right support from healthcare providers who believe in your capacity to heal.
Listen to your intuition, your inner doctor.
Identify the underlying causes of stress and work to address them.
Surrender to the process, recognizing that sometimes, illness serves as a profound wake-up call.
Our beliefs, stress levels, and mental state significantly impact our well-being. By embracing positive thinking, seeking support, and managing stress actively, we can unlock our body's natural ability to heal itself. Dr. Rankin's insights remind us that our thoughts and beliefs are tangible factors affecting our physical health. Embracing the mind-body connection and taking proactive steps toward self-healing can lead to lasting well-being. Your thoughts profoundly influence your physical health, and understanding this can set you on a path to holistic health and healing.
By Dannyelle Tansey