Has it ever occurred to you that your habitual way of THINKING affects your Health?

When we do consider our health, the first things that come to mind are diet, exercise and lifestyle habits – and these are all contributing factors. However, in this blog I want to try to convey in an understandable format how our thoughts affect our health.

Let me try.

When we chronically get involved in thinking negatively believe-it-or-not, we actually affect our bodies in a bad way on a cellular level. However, on the better side of this equation if we constantly feeding uplifting and positive ideas into our minds we become lighter, happier and most definitely healthier.

I want the diagram in Figure 1 below to represent your MIND and BODY, and if you stick with me, I am going to use it to explain on a practical level how our thoughts affect us.

Now the MIND (in Figure 1 above), is where our thinking takes place and it consists of two distinctly different parts – the CONSCIOUS mind and the SUBCONSCIOUS mind (Figure 2). The body is and always will be an instrument of the mind.

The image above was first drawn way back in 1934 by a doctor from San Antonio, Texas – Dr Thurman Fleet. This doctor believed that in the healing arts we are treating people physically – we treating symptoms. He also said, “Until we treat the whole person we not going to get permanent results”.

Next step, I would like to introduce you to two polar opposite individuals. Let us call the first individual Negative Jane and then the second one we will call Positive John. Now I am going to use Dr Thurman Fleet’s drawing to show you how each of these individuals’ different ways of thinking affects them.

Negative Jane (image below)

1. Jane is constantly reading doom and gloom news. She spends her time with judgemental gossiping people. Her friends love complaining and she sympathizes with them. She is in the habit of constantly feeding negative ideas into her conscious mind.
2. If this behaviour persists, Jane will eventually register DOUBT and WORRY on a conscious level.
3. Over time, as that doubt and worry is internalized it will eventually cause a feeling of FEAR on a subconscious level.
4. Fear on a subconscious level must move into form the only way that it can, and that is with and through the body. The body moves into a state more commonly referred to as ANXIETY.
5. People do not express anxiety. They suppress it.
6. That Suppression over a long time turns into DEPRESSION. Depression is anger turned inwards.
7. Prolonged depression eventually turns into DIS-EASE. You could say Jane’s body below is not At-Ease.

Positive John (image below)

1. John on the other hand is constantly reading inspiring books – he feeds his mind with uplifting ideas. He spends his days around happy and positive people.
2. If John persists with this productive way of living, he will eventually develop a conscious mental state that is opposite to doubt and worry, this state is called UNDERSTANDING (a by-product of knowledge).
3. Understanding on a conscious level leads to a subconscious emotional state called FAITH.
4. Faith expresses itself on a physical level as Well-being. Well-being is never suppressed it is expressed. John’s body language below is open and he takes up the space he is in, because his mind is in a very healthy state.
5. A person whose body is in a state of well-being has a body that is AT-EASE. Like I said this is the opposite of Dis-Ease.

For the majority of my twenty’s I spent my days being the twin brother of Negative Jane. I understand both of the above individuals intimately because at different points in my life I have been both.

Now I know that this could offend some people – but if you want to know what type of thinking you involved with, check in with your physical body.

How are you feeling?
Are you anxious?
Do you display habitual neurotic behaviour like nail biting, foot tapping or fidgeting?

If these behaviours are habitual, persistent and continuous it tells you what is going on in your mind.

Alternatively, is your natural physical state calm, relaxed and at ease? If so, you are in a wonderful state. Keep doing what you are doing.

How you feel on a physical level all starts with the thoughts you choose daily.

Choose wisely.