The speed at which technology evolves means that we are incessantly discovering new ways to communicate with one another. Mobiles phones, social media, Skype and IM all allow us to express ourselves to our friends, our enemies and the world at large via a wide variety of different media. We all understand that our words can have a huge impact on those who receive them, but have you ever stopped to wonder how the words you speak or the thoughts you have every minute of the day affect your own physical and mental health?
Our words and thoughts affect every aspect of our lives. We create our lives through our perceptions of ourselves and our environment. The placebo effect is scientific proof of the power of the words and thoughts that create our belief systems. Those who subscribe to the metaphysical concept of the Law of Attraction believe that we create our physical and mental reality through our perceptions of ourselves and our environment. They say that what we think about expands and becomes who we are.Not sure what you believe? Try this simple test to see how your positive and negative thoughts affect your physiology.
The following 2 exercises are also great to do with a friend. Sit opposite your friend and do both parts of the exercise. Keep your eyes open while you are talking to your friend (if you are doing the exercises alone keep your eyes closed). Ask your friend to keep a close watch on your posture, your facial expressions, your breathing, your tone of voice and your overall physiology and once the recall part of the exercise is over ask your friend to tell you what changes they noticed.Exercise 1 - The Effects of Happy Thoughts and Words
1. Sit in an upright chair (not a squashy armchair) and take 10 deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly to relax your body and clear your mind.
2. Close your eyes and keep them closed.
3. Think about the last time that you were really happy. What was the event that made you happy? How did you feel?
4. Think of 3 words that describe the happy feelings. For example "happy" or "excited"
5. Say these words out loud in relation to yourself, for example “I am happy” or “I am excited”.
6. Cast your mind back to everything that made that day so wonderful and hold that thought for a minute.
7. With your eyes still closed take note of your physical stance. How has it changed from when you were relaxed and breathing deeply? You may even have noticed subtle changes occurring in your posture as you were thinking about your happy event. Write down the changes you have noticed.
The vast majority of people find that when they are talking or thinking about their happy experience, their spine elongates, they sit up straighter, hold their head up higher and feel taller. Their stance is open with their chest exposed, arms outstretched and hands gesticulating or palms open and often facing upwards. Their eyes are brighter and if they are doing the exercise with a friend they establish more eye contact with the listener. Their tone of voice is in the upper register and sounds melodious, they talk clearly and loudly, their breathing is relaxed and they are smiling while they speak.
Exercise 2 - The Effects of Unhappy Thoughts and Words
1. Return to the relaxed position and take 10 deep breaths again to clear your mind and return to a normal physiological state.
2. Close your eyes and keep them closed
3. Think about the last time you were really miserable. What was the event that made you unhappy? How did you feel?
4. Think of 3 words that describe your unhappiness.
5. Say these 3 words out loud. “I am unhappy”, “I am frightened” etc.
6. Cast your mind back to everything that made that day so terrible and hold those thoughts for a minute.
7. With your eyes still closed take note of your physical stance. How has it changed from when you were relaxed and breathing deeply? How has it changed from when you were thinking about the happy event?
The vast majority of people find that when they are reliving an unhappy experience, their spine shortens and they slump in their chair, their breathing becomes more shallow and their mouth downturned, their voice is quiet, low, slow and crackly, their jaw is tense and they feel unwell and tired.
Wind Down
We don’t want to end this exercise on an unhappy note so once more before we end the exercise, return to the relaxed position in your chair.
1. Close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths
2. Think about a pastime that relaxes you for example walking the dog, swimming, lying on the beach, having a spa day, having a bath - anything that makes you feel at peace.
3. Take note of how relaxed you feel and find 3 words to express this. Say them out loud. For example “I am relaxed” or “I am content”.
I’ll leave you with this thought. If you are constantly dwelling on bad experiences, thinking about them and giving them credence with your words and in turn your body is reacting to these thoughts as it did in the exercise, folding in on itself, hunched over, breathing shallowly, mouth downturned, how do you think this is affecting both your body and your mind long term? How likely is it that these physiological changes will last longer and longer and cause you illness and disease? How is your attitude affecting your life?
Lastly, if you are always thinking about how grateful you are for the good things in your life, always talking to your friends about your happy experiences, what positive effects do you think this will have on your mental and physical health and indeed on everyone around you?
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