Have you ever heard people say that wellness is a state of mind? There is actually some truth in that. Your mental and emotional state is quite closely linked to your physical wellbeing. That’s not to say that you can think your way out of any kind of serious health condition, but there are certainly ways in which you can use your powers of make-believe to help you succeed in life and feel healthier overall.
A recent study has proved that the power of the mind can actually help you to control cravings, to increase your motivation to work out and to improve your vision.
When you imagine yourself doing something, the brain is stimulated in the same way that it would be if you were actually doing the thing. Trying this technique is a way of ‘harnessing’ the brain’s powers.
If you are looking to curb cravings – such as when you are stopping smoking or attempting to stop eating carbs – your best friend is distraction. In one study on this area, volunteers were found to be able to reduce their cravings for food by using the smell of eucalyptus, or by imagining what a rainbow would look like.
Getting yourself down to the gym can be a brain-related problem too – the step out of your front door is often the most difficult step in your whole workout. In order to fix this, take a few moments to conjure up what your workout is going to feel like, imagining your heart pounding, and this is likely to give you the impetus to get up off the sofa.
Taking a power stance can also help if you are suffering from confidence issues. Research has showed that striking a confident stance can actually make you produce hormones that make you feel more confident.