You Are What You Think

I spent all weekend thinking about the fact that it's now officially summer. My thoughts see-sawed between the delighted ("The kids are home so we can go do this, and that, and this...") and the dread-inducing ("How am I going to entertain them and still get my work done?"). As I tuned in to my thoughts, I had a bit of a revelation. I realized that I could feel my body physically responding to what I was thinking. I could feel myself getting drained and utterly exhausted just thinking about refereeing fights between my kids on long hot days.

That immediate, tangible reaction got me thinking about other times when I let my thoughts shape how I feel -- like when my trainer suggested that I try running and my knees began to ache. Or when I walked into a meeting where I didn't know anybody recently and could suddenly feel myself retreating into a bubble of shyness. When I tell myself that I can't run because of my knees or that I'm shy or that I'm going to end up yelling at my kids, my body responds with an immediate, "OK, then. That's how it's going to be."

The thoughts create the reality.

It's also played out in my weight maintenance. I can feel the difference in my body when I simply say, "I'm maintaining my weight loss" instead of "I hope I can keep this weight off." I don't mean to go all Oprah-y on you, but there's some truth to the whole "intention" thing.

I know what you're thinking -- if it's so easy, then why don't we all just think positive thoughts all the time. The short answer is that it's hard to re-wire old habits. Check out this article on insecurity and confidence from Australia's Herald Sun newspaper for some interesting insight on how our thoughts shape how we look at ourselves.

As for me, whenever I feel those negative thoughts creeping in, I'm going to try to look at them objectively and let them go. Yes, summer can be a challenging time in my year, but I love a good challenge.

At least that's what I'm telling myself... ;-)

Comments

[Sagan]

Great post! Its so good to think positive- you can only benefit from it.

[Alyssa]

A few years ago I took a course on overcoming anxiety and depression (along with therapy). I'd been having horrible anxiety attacks, and was in the throes of some pretty severe post-partum depression, although I didn't recognize it at the time.
One thing I learned is that the body reacts to imaginary circumstances in the exact same way it does to actual circumstances. Scientists have studied the brains of volunteers, asking them to imagine stressful, fear-inducing, calming, and happy situations. They found that the same areas of the brain "light up" when one is imagining these scenarios as when one is actually experiencing them.
A trick I learned, when I start to imagine all the things that can go wrong, is to picture a stop sign in my head (and even say "stop" out loud, if I can), and immediately change the thought to a positive one. It was REALLY hard at first, but it has become almost a habit. And, after 6 years, many of the "bad" thoughts don't even occur anymore.

[MizFit]

yesyesYES!!

Im working HARD on that in my writing realm.

[Crabby McSlacker]

Well, I'm obviously not a model of "positive" thinking, but I do think it's great to learn to reframe things in positive terms when possible and not get mired in the negative.

Which in my mind doesn't preclude a little whining now and then...

[Roxanne]

I think understanding the "realness" of what we can cause from our thoughts builds compassion. When my anxious dog flips out, it's easy to get frustrated because I know whatever she is reacting to isn't real danger, but to her it is.

[Dara Chadwick]

Wow, Alyssa...thanks for sharing that perspective. I explore the mind-body connection a lot in my writing and the power of the mind never ceases to amaze me.

MizFit and Crabby, I hear you that positive thinking takes work. But it's well worth the effort, no?

Roxanne, I know just what you mean. My dog was all shaken up about something yesterday (he's a high-strung golden retriever) and I found myself getting increasingly annoyed because I didn't know what was wrong with him and he was stuck to me like glue. I appreciate the reminder that whatever he was upset about was very real to him.

[Strong One]

I remember thinking to myself, after I read the book "The Secret", the quote: "Thoughts become things" is something too damn real!