My blog last week introduced The 7 Habits of Health and how you can use the habits to make positive changes. We all
know nobody is the same and we have different needs where health is
concerned, so there is no specific order that they are listed in. There is however,
one particular habit that I have been especially mindful of this last week. As
I write this, the UK along with many other countries in the world have been
placed in ‘lock down’. Movements are restricted, personal contact with anyone
outside of our own home is forbidden unless at what is considered to be a safe
distance (2m). We are all having to adapt and make changes at an alarming rate. I
don’t need to go on, we are all living it.
That is just the issue here though, "living": are we thriving
or are we simply surviving? During the first week of lockdown, I had the
revelation that I was feeling something that I had not felt since my time in
hospital quite some years ago. I felt trapped, afraid, alone, claustrophobic
and more besides. I realised I was anxious, not of being or becoming ill, but of
the entire situation. When I tapped into those feelings one thing came to mind, and I remembered something important about my personality: I have to be in control. Maybe
you can relate to that? If I’m not in control, I panic. I feel lost and all
those feelings I mentioned above build up.
There many physical indicators of that too: My chest and shoulders feel
tight, and I find it difficult to take a deep breath for example. These are feelings
of anxiety and are among what are known as "negative emotions". Negative
emotions hold us back, they prevent us from achieving, thriving and can ultimately affect
our health and wellbeing.
Studies are now beginning to show the important link between mind (our emotional health) and body (our physical health). When the mind is
regularly thinking of healthy, happy up-beat thoughts, it produces chemicals
called neuropeptides. The body is very dependent upon having a regular supply
of these chemicals in order to heal tissues and cells. What we
choose to fill our mind with is similar to choosing what software to install on your computer. Function and efficiency of your computer will
obviously be affected as a result of this.
Have you ever heard the
quote by Paulette Sedgwick (and attributed to others), "Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your
words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful
of your actions, for your actions become your habits."
This is where the sixth habit comes in: Positive
Mental Attitude (PMA). Those negative feelings I have talked about above, do
not constitute a healthy habit. It is impossible though to simply snap out of
it. Things aren’t as easy as that. In my case where the issue is control, I
have to recognise that at the moment there is a situation that none of us can control. I just have to accept and choose how I react, and what we do. That is where
we all have real control.There are many ways we can
look to take back control of our reaction and reframe our mindset:
- · Journaling
- · Meditation
- · Mindfulness
- · EFT
- · Go for a walk, exercise or stretch
- · Create/ update your vision board
- · Goal setting
- · Gratitude list
There are many more besides. What I also find works really well
with any negative issue is to carry out the following process:
1.
Recognise:
Once you have recognised the presence of negative emotions, take some time to
experience them. What I mean by this is allow them, recognise them but don’t
let them take over. I find a great way when working with people is to do a
spider diagram or just brainstorm.
2.
Show
Gratitude: Strange as it may seem, say to yourself thank you for allowing me to
feel this … Now I can grow and move on from here.
3.
EFT:
This is a gentle tapping method I have used in practice for many years now. It
helps to clear the negative emotions. It is simple and easy to use and I often
coach patients to use this method outside of the clinic whenever they need
to. Please see my earlier video or contact me for further information.
4. Grow:
Have you ever noticed in young children that when they have a period of illness,
this is often followed by growth? I like to view negative emotions in this way.
Obviously, we don’t want them to linger or to control us, but once we have the
control back, we are in a place of strength and can grow. We often find the solution
for ourselves so that we can move forward to a place of strength.
It is also important to remember that just because an emotion
is referred to as negative, it does not mean that we are wrong in any way to be
feeling that way. Whatever it is we feel, that is absolutely right for us, but
we need to recognise and take back control so that we can lead a healthier and fuller
life; to thrive and not simply survive. Maybe you are feeling or have felt
similar feelings at the moment? I would love to hear from you and how I can
help you with your 7 Habits of Health.
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