The 5 Dimensions of Health: Part 2-

Mental Health

Have you ever noticed how powerful your thoughts can be? I know I have been worried about catching a cold from a colleague in the past and sure enough there comes the scratchy sore throat and stuffed up nose! (Even if I was taking a ton of Echinacea, elderberry and Vit C!) Our thoughts rule our physical body; literally! When your mind tells your legs to jump they jump and when your mind has thoughts of guilt, or worry or negative self-thoughts these get translated to the physical body as well. In fact there are many (myself included) that believe that illness and disease manifest in our mental health and other dimensions way before our physical body reflects the symptoms. Autoimmune illness involves the immune system attacking the body inappropriately. Does this not sound like negative self thoughts? How often do you tell yourself you aren’t good enough or you’re not doing a good job or what’s wrong with you why can’t you be better? Because our minds are the master of our bodies we need to train them to use that power for good! Positive thinking is key. If this doesn’t come naturally to you then start to at least be aware of when you go into that downward spiral of self-mutilation and see if you can pause it. Next see if you can take a step back and see the scenario from a different perspective. You may not have done something perfectly but what did you do that was really great? Try journaling about what you are grateful for about yourself or things in your life. Do some meditation where you send positive thoughts to your cells in order to heal. Other therapies include neuro and biofeedback, and mental imagery. These suggestions may seem simple but they can take a lot of practice to fully implement. The most important thing to remember is to be patient and kind with yourself as if you were talking to your best friend. Because let’s face it, you’re stuck with yourself and that little voice inside your head your whole life!