Over the past few years, my main focus has been on nutrition and emotional well-being. Both are extremely important to live a happy balanced life. We often do not think of the impact our emotions and relationships play on our physical health. It is only when our physical health begins to fail that we start making positive lifestyle changes.
What is the first thing your doctor tells you when you're diagnosed with any chronic illness? Less stress. Start lessening the stress in your life. What are a few everyday life stressors we deal with daily? Relationships, money issues, career.
The relationships we choose to have with our significant others, in our career or with money, will determine the amount of stress we allow into our lives. However, relationships are not limited to those three categories. Many other relationships will benefit from changing the way we see things. Things happen for us, not to us, and we have an absolute choice in what we let into our lives and what we keep out. That includes negative thoughts.
What if we decided to lessen the stress in our lives before chronic illness set in? Mind over matter. What we tell ourselves has a direct impact on our physical health. Negative self-talk is very common in our society; I'm not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, I can't, I should. We believe what we perceive, both positive and negative. What does this mean for us? Self-defeating thoughts will keep us down, whereas believing in ourselves will keep us moving forward even through adversity.
Years of negative self-talk take time to overcome. But, with patience and practice, you can do it. If you turn those negative, self-defeating phrases around, what would life look like for us? What would it feel like to live in a world of positive thought? I am good enough, smart enough, money will be there when I need it, I love the way I look, I can, and I will do this on my terms.
Releasing years of negative thoughts and pent-up aggression will directly positively impact your physical health. If you find this challenging or need more direction, seek counsel. Seeking counsel is very common. It means you are taking the initiative to care for your overall well-being. Practicing self-care will impact not only you but those around you. Taking time to care for your emotional and physical health also takes care of those you love. They, too, will reap the benefits of your healthy lifestyle changes.
Take time to identify what may be causing you the most stress in your life. These very stressors compromise your overall well-being. Use positive self-reinforcement to combat these negative stressors. Meditation will help calm down and focus the mind. Guided meditation is an excellent place to begin, especially if your mind is overcrowded with thoughts. Listening to a soothing voice helps relieve stress and grants you focus.
Practice positive self-care daily, and you'll notice your emotional and physical health begin to improve. Try this for three weeks and see how you feel on both an emotional and physical level. Take care of yourself and see the world around you change.
This article by Barbara Ann Bruno was the tip of the day on Dr. Laura.
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