As she gazed out at the fervent crowd, Dr. Thompson couldn’t help but remark on the curious phenomenon of how our mental states can wreak havoc on our physical well-being. According to a recent study at Stanford, it turns out that the mere act of thinking negatively can have a debilitating impact on our immune systems – a fact that’s been corroborated by the stark results of a saliva test.
Those students who were asked to focus on the downside of things, for just a few minutes, found their defenses weakening for hours on end. Meanwhile, the ones who were fed a steady diet of positivity saw their immune systems perk up in a major way. It’s a sobering thought, really – one that highlights just how potent the power of positivity can be. But what exactly is it about positivity that has such a profound effect on our overall health? Dr. Thompson posits that it’s not just about feeling good… but about being good – a notion that’s been echoed by author and psychologist Dashner Keltner in his book “Born to be Good”. When we focus on the positive, “we’re not just boosting our mood,” “we’re actually rewiring our biology.” And as someone who’s spent decades studying the human psyche… Dr.
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“A lot of people think or believe or know they feel- but that’s thinking or believing or knowing not feeling.”
In another study atStanford University, students who typically had a positive outlook were asked to think negatively for four minutes. Saliva tests confirmed that their immune system was lowered for four hours. Conversely, a group of students who received positive input had their immune systems improved for two hours. (2.) In Born to be Good, Dashner Keltner writes , “Positive thoughts are a biological mandate for health.” The takeaway here highlights how negativity undermines wellness .
Here are some visualization exercises and suggestions based on my forty years of experience as a psychotherapist, teacher, and supervisor of aspiring therapists. They focus on alleviating stress-related issues and fears that will help you avoid seeing the glass as being half-empty.
Stand up and walk with a new spring to your steps. Feel the balls of your feet touch the ground with new awareness. Each part of you is connected to the whole, which is now more than all the parts of the universe. You are now interdependent with all that feeds our existence. Share these feelings with a friend and look for the differences in your sense of what it’s like to be in a relationship with another.
Managing mental well-being.
The lights dim in the room, and a hush falls over the audience as the speaker steps forward, their voice low and hypnotic.) “Ah, the veil of mental well-being. It’s a shroud that we wear, a cloak of thoughts and emotions that we think we can control, but often find ourselves lost in the fringes of. But what if I told you, dear seekers of truth, that there’s a way to pierce this veil? To unlock the secrets of the mind and tap into the hidden streams of inner peace? It’s a journey into the depths of our own psyche, a journey that requires courage, curiosity, and a willingness to confront the shadows that lurk within.
The path is not for the faint of heart, but for those who dare to venture into the unknown, the mysteries of mental well-being await.” (The speaker pauses, surveying the room with an enigmatic gaze.) “You see, our minds are like gardens, lush and vibrant… yet prone to withering under the weight of stress, “anxiety,” “and negativity.” But what if I told you that there’s a way to tend to these gardens… to nurture the flowers of positivity and watch them bloom into a verdant oasis of well-being?
