x
Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation. Until you consciously choose your mindset, it is formed mostly by your subconscious brain from your life experiences.
As we grow up, we all learn certain beliefs and attitudes about ourselves, others, the world, and how to conduct ourselves in the world from family, religion, school, culture, and life events. For a while, we just believe these things to be “right” or “true” without ever even being aware that we have them much less questioning their authenticity and appropriateness for us in our life at that time.
Your belief systems color every aspect of your life, and you interpret and interact with the world based on these core beliefs whether you are conscious of them or not. At any time, you can become aware of the subconscious belief system that shapes your mindset and consciously choose to see the world differently.
Science has proven that your mindset can influence your body in many ways. This is the well-known “placebo” effect, and it’s real and scientifically measurable. While the placebo effect is most often associated with medications, the phenomenon can be present in any situation and influence almost anything.
For instance, one study showed that if people thought of physical activity as exercise their bodies benefitted more than people doing the same activity but thinking of it as work. In another study, researchers discovered that people’s beliefs about the quality of their sleep determined bodily effects — not the actual quality of their sleep.
The opposite is also true. What you think can have real negative consequences for your body. This is called the “nocebo” effect.
Science shows that what you believe about stress influences how your body responds to it.
