Is the Mind/Body Connection Real?

Imagine you're enjoying a delicious pizza! It has all your favorite toppings and just the right amount of gooey cheese. The spices are perfect. As you bite into your third piece, you notice a dark speck in the crust. As you peel back the toppings and investigate a little closer, you suddenly realize that the crust has little tiny bugs baked into it. The flour that was used must have been contaminated with bugs!!

Maybe the thought of bugs in your pizza doesn't bother you; it's just a little more protein. You can substitute the pizza for noticing wiggly worms on the raw broccoli you've been eating with dip. Or mouse droppings in your food. When we think there's something disgusting with our food, there is commonly a very physical response - nausea, gagging, or an upset stomach.

Imagine you're home alone. You're sound asleep when a sudden, strange noise wakes you up. You wonder if someone is trying to break into your house. Or maybe the scary movie or story you were reading makes you think about ghosts or zombies. What happens to your heart rate? Do you have a hard time getting back to sleep?

These may be extreme examples of how our thoughts affect our bodies and the mind/body connection, but you can probably relate. No wonder the placebo effect is such a big deal!! Our thoughts not only impact our mood, our view of our work, our relationships, and our world, but they also impact our body, including our health.

So when you take time for gratitude, focus on something good in your day, or shift your thinking from a past drama, there are emotional, mental, and physical benefits!!

To browse past positivity tips, visit this page.

Tina Hallis, Ph.D., is a professional speaker and founder of The Positive Edge, a company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations increase their positivity to improve the quality of people’s work lives and the quality of company cultures.