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Exercise the powers of the mind
Make sure your cup is half full to maintain and prolong wellbeing
So are you an optimist or a pessimist? Is your cup half full or half empty? How you answer that question may reflect your outlook and attitude to life and, in the long run, even affect your chances of a healthy, long life.
A positive mental attitude is one of the cornerstones of good health, according to many holistic practitioners. There is a growing body of
evidence that your habitual thoughts and emotions may largely determine your level of health and quality of life.
Pessimism – the cup is half empty
Individuals who do not have psychiatric problems but score very high on a personality test pessimism scale have a 30 per cent increased risk of developing dementia several decades later.
The same is true of individuals who score very highly on the test's depression scale. The risk is even higher, and increases to 40 per cent more for individuals who score highly on both anxiety and pessimism scales. Another study links 'negative' brain activity with a weakened immune system.
Optimism – the cup is half full
On the other hand, being an optimist may help reduce your risk of dieing from heart disease and other causes, according to a Dutch study.
It found those who reported high levels of optimism had a 55 per cent lower risk of premature death from all causes and a 23 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular death than people who reported high levels of pessimism.
The mind and body connection is so strong that what we feed into our minds eventually translates into the workings of our bodies. Feed our minds positive, vibrant and confident thoughts, and our bodies will respond by being healthy, vibrant and strong.
A comparison is often drawn with the computer term GIGO – garbage in garbage out. The same can be said for the body; it doesn't
necessarily have to be 'garbage' food that does harm – the same goes for the 'garbage' thoughts we feed our minds every single second.
Most of us process thousands of thoughts every day, and yet 75 per cent are the ones we had yesterday, the day before and the day before that. Slowly, we 'brainwash' ourselves with our own thoughts – so try to make those thoughts positive ones.
Tomorrow, wake up and tell yourself you are going to have a good day, and the day after and the day after that – reverse the garbage you have fed your mind, and slowly you will start to feel good about yourself and the world around you. It won't cost you anything and it might be to your advantage, so go on, have a go.
Call Donna at The Cottage Therapy Studio on 01234 838880 for allergy and intolerance analysis, wellness MOTs and menopause naturally consultations: www.scio-wellness.com
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Weather for Bedford
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
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