Читать книгу The Mind-Body Cure - Bal Pawa - Страница 10

Mental or emotional health refers to overall psychological well-being and the ability to control thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Individuals who cope with stress more effectively and better manage anger, fear, and negative emotions tend to be healthier. People who struggle with mental or emotional health may need to improve the tools and skills needed to effectively deal with stress. They often feel stuck in life.

Do you:

 believe that you have little to no control over health?

 constantly criticize yourself and have a negative inner dialogue?

 have mood swings or react with angry outbursts?

 look after others but have difficulty with self-care?

 take criticism harshly or often feel rejected?

 slip into negative thought patterns such as “not enoughness”?

 have trouble feeling motivated and excited about life?

 fear making mistakes and have the need to be perfect?

 struggle with minor daily stressors, such as traffic, while others cope and thrive?

 worry excessively about health?

 blame others or circumstances when you feel poorly?

We start with the mind because that is ultimately where we make choices and decisions that affect our health, sometimes consciously and more often unconsciously. How we perceive the world is more a reflection of our beliefs and thoughts and less about the reality that surrounds us. Many books discuss the connection between our mind and our body, but many of them miss the very important connection between our mind and our brain, specifically the intricate and close association of our thoughts to our body’s autonomous regulation centers. We can allow our negative thoughts to run automatically, signaling our brain to constantly release stress hormones that ultimately create disease. Alternatively, we can control our thoughts, choose our beliefs, and consciously affect our brain, reducing and eliminating stress and disease. Thus, we start our exploration of the mind-brain-body connection with an exploration of the mind.