IMPROVING YOUR HEALTH, ONE BELIEF AT A TIME

How do beliefs affect the body?

Are you aware just how much your beliefs affect your health? Our beliefs hold immense power, influencing not just our perceptions but our physical health as well. Negative, worrisome beliefs can make us more susceptible to illness, while positive, hopeful beliefs can make us healthier. Our bodies, comprised of trillions of cells, meticulously listen to the messages originating from our brain.

Our beliefs and thoughts function as neurotransmitters, generating chemical messengers that travel through our brain and body, influencing every aspect of our functioning, producing hundreds of possible symptoms.

There have been countless studies that prove the profound impact of thoughts and beliefs on our physiology. Stressful beliefs activate our brain’s stress response, releasing hormones that heighten vulnerability to illness. Conversely, positive beliefs regarding health, when paired with hope and a sense of deserving well-being, exert a positive influence on our physiology. They diminish stress-related hormones, fortify our immune function, and speed up physical recovery. In essence, our beliefs hold the power to shape not only our mental outlook but also our physical reality.

Where do our beliefs come from?

By the age of five or six, many of our core beliefs have already formed. These beliefs typically stem from the messages we received from those around us and the experiences where our fundamental needs were left unmet. Over time, these messages and experiences shape the narratives we create about ourselves and the world, which affect our health and the speed in which we recover from chronic illness.

We often think these beliefs are the “truth” and will find evidence to match our beliefs. These stories, in turn, influence our perceptions, and mold the neural pathways and neurochemistry of our brains. If we want to feel our best both mentally/emotionally and physically, we need to confront, challenge, and ultimately transform these limiting beliefs.

As a life coach for over 20 years, I work with my clients to uncover some of the hidden beliefs that may be impacting their recovery, and to challenge both these more subtle, as well as some more obvious beliefs that have been running on “autopilot” for years.

When we are sick with lingering symptoms, we often carry around beliefs such as “it’s harder for me to heal than other people because…” or “the reason I have ongoing health challenges that won’t resolve is because…”. While there are always many layers to healing, we can’t ignore how our beliefs and the language we speak affects our health and our recovery.

How can we change our beliefs?

Before we can change our beliefs, we need to know what they are first. One highly effective method to uncover limiting beliefs is to write freehand. By exploring your beliefs about health and recovery for example, you can begin to unravel some of the messages or “loops” that are going around and around in your mind on “repeat”.

When you put pen to paper uncensored, it allows you to express your innermost thoughts, and beliefs. It’s important not to judge yourself, and to be honest about whatever is coming up for you.

Remember that many of these beliefs were programmed when you were just a small child so some of them may not even make logical sense now. The more you write, the more you will have access to the deeper layers of your thoughts and emotions, even reaching down to your subconscious mind.

If time allows, a powerful exercise for uncovering some of your beliefs is to write uncensored for 3 hours straight! I did this many years ago and was shocked to discover just how often I repeated the same thoughts in my head over and over, like a record that was continually skipping.

Another exercise, below, is adapted from Sonia Ricotti’s Unsinkable Bounce Back System, and does not require as much time in one go. It’s one way that you can become aware of, and begin to re-write the beliefs that you hold.

Step 1: Uncover Your Beliefs

You might want to begin your writing exercise with a prompt like, “I’m never going to heal…” or any other negative belief that you believe to be true. Allow your thoughts to flow freely for 15 minutes or longer, even if you feel like you’re running out of things to say. This process will guide you to explore the deeper layers of your thoughts and emotions.

Step 2: Reading Aloud and Recognizing Beliefs

After you’ve completed your writing exercise, it’s time to give voice to your story. Read it aloud, not just once, but five times. Pay close attention as you read, searching for clues about your underlying beliefs. Often, the most significant revelations about limiting beliefs occur when we find ourselves making excuses or complaining about our circumstances.

As you repeat this reading exercise, you may notice that you feel less emotion attached to the story, allowing you to view it more objectively. You may even start to realize that some of the things you’ve been telling yourself simply aren’t true.

Step 3: Documenting Uncovered Beliefs

Once you’ve read your story aloud five times, jot down the beliefs you’ve uncovered throughout this process. If you find that identifying these beliefs remains challenging, don’t hesitate to seek the assistance of someone you trust. Make sure not to judge yourself for these beliefs; remember that they formed long ago, from a child’s perspective, before your brain fully developed. Acknowledging them is the first step in their transformation. Some will naturally dissipate as you recognize they are untrue, while others may require more effort to reshape.

Step 4: Replace Limiting Beliefs with Positive Alternatives

With your list of limiting beliefs in hand, take each one and counter it with a positive new belief that serves you on your healing journey. Create a new list on a separate piece of paper that represents your new belief and read your new beliefs out loud. Repeat them until you’ve recited each one five times, infusing your words with genuine emotion. Initially, you might not fully believe these positive affirmations, and that’s perfectly normal. Trust that with repetition, your perspective will gradually shift.

Step 5: Reinforce Your New Beliefs Through Visualization and Daily Practice

Post your list of new beliefs somewhere you’ll see it regularly. Write out or vocalize your new beliefs to yourself at least 20 times each day for an extended period. As you do so, begin to imagine how these beliefs would shape your feelings, actions, and interactions with the world. Take a few deep breaths after each practice to anchor this new way of thinking and being within yourself.

Step 6: Align Actions with Your New Beliefs

To solidify your transformation, take actionable steps that affirm your new beliefs. These actions don’t have to be large; even small, consistent efforts can make a profound difference. If you struggle to find direct actions tied to your beliefs, try spending some time in nature, breathe deeply, treat yourself to enjoyable and relaxing experiences, or compose a kind, encouraging letter to yourself. These actions will reinforce your new beliefs, helping you create a tangible shift in your reality.

By confronting the beliefs that no longer serve you, challenging their validity, and embracing new positive beliefs, you can move forward on your healing journey.

Our beliefs shape not only our perceptions but our physiological responses. They are a reminder that the mind-body connection is a huge part of our recovery, leading us towards a healthier, happier life.

The path to recovery, including confronting deep-seated beliefs, can be quite challenging, especially if your progress remains elusive despite your efforts. Yet, the right system, with unwavering support and accountability, can bring transformation, enabling you to embrace the best version of yourself.

Partner with a certified health and life coach who understands your journey and has recovered fully. Want to gain some insight into how you might heal from your symptoms, reach out for a FREE one hour Vitality session – button below.