Читать книгу The Mind-Body Cure - Bal Pawa - Страница 28

When we move from simply knowing about health to actively cultivating a health mindset, our thoughts, actions, and feelings change. We form a habit of self-approval rather than seeking outside validation. We become more resilient. We become more open to learning from others and from our own mistakes, and we become more confident in our abilities to persevere when challenged and to develop strategies that support our health. Our attitude adjustment is our responsibility and no one else can do that for us.

Challenging your automatic thoughts and learning to reframe situations and view them in different ways creates new neural networks and allows you to manage your own health. By mastering the tools that create a health mindset, you can ensure an inner dialogue that is pro health rather than pro disease. Remember that thinking positive thoughts is not enough; only by trusting at a deep core level that there will be positive outcomes will our brain translate this message to all the cells in the body. This is the fundamental basis for long-term physical health, vitality, and longevity because positive thought patterns lead to healthy choices in behavior, which then become traits, and eventually turn into habits, which form the basis of what becomes your health-conscious personality.

Having a health mindset allows you to set specific, realistic health goals and achieve them. Instead of committing to “follow a healthy diet,” you are more likely to succeed if you write down your intention to “eat a boiled egg, one cup of berries, and one cup of oatmeal with shredded coconut for breakfast.” Having a tangible, specific, and doable goal engages your conscious brain and gives you a precise target to follow through on. Similarly, if you want to lose weight, engage your health mindset and declare, “I have confidence in my ability to walk briskly for at least thirty minutes daily, then add thirty sit-ups before I go to bed.”

In my own recovery, I initially underestimated the power of the mind, the inner dialogue, and the role of stress hormones on inflammation and healing. Healing does not occur overnight, and my journey continues today. I still occasionally get flare-ups of neck pain while doing certain activities, but I am better at body and mind awareness and can recalibrate faster. I still get the occasional terrifying dream of the accident, but I can recover much more quickly and not let it affect my day.

The difference is that the memory of the accident no longer triggers visceral anxiety and panic or emotions. More importantly, my perception (my story) has shifted from “Why did this happen to me?” to “It could have been much worse; I am alive and well now.” I have taken full responsibility for my pain and recovery rather than staying in victim mode. I have practiced forgiveness for the driver and for myself. I have become a better physician as I view treatment and health care differently. I view the accident and all I have become as a gift to live a new and better life.