The Weekly Fill: Is Your Mind Missing This?

Apr 25, 2024

I'm a recovering pessimist.

You know that, though. I recently told you it's part of my DNA.

I don't mean to use that as an excuse, but there was a time in my life when I really didn't think I could see the good in anything, no matter how much I wanted to.

I tried. I really did. It's why I started therapy.

No matter what I mustered up on my own, I always found myself back in the negative spiral.

But here's what I know now.

You can't always think yourself out of negative places, and you can't just will yourself better, no matter how many good intentions you set.

Pessimism isn't solely about your mind. It's also about your biology.

The health of your cells often dictates the patterns of your brain.

I saw this in my own life. When I started therapy and fought to escape the negative places my mind had developed, I was also deep in the process of healing from my mold sickness.

I'm not trying to excuse negative thinking. It does need attention. And yes, there is a psychological component to it. But changing your thinking is not just the 'choice' I assumed it was.

Your mind is only as healthy as the cells that make up your mind. And your nervous system can only function to the level of nourishment it has available.

Without nourishment, your cells are left to compensate, which changes your entire thought pattern and keeps you stuck in survival patterns, no matter how much you hate them.

As a recovering pessimist, I want to tell you that no pessimist is proud of their negative thought spiral. It's not always something they choose but rather a reaction that feels involuntary.

If you're a pessimist, I need you to know you didn't get here on purpose.

But that doesn't mean you should stay there, not only because it's not healthy but also because it's preventing you from living.

The way out is not to think yourself out of it or shame yourself for it.

The way out is to start by learning how to nourish your nervous system to mobilize stress and release it so it stops harming you.

When it comes to healing, your nervous system is of utmost importance to the outcome of your cells. It's also changing your entire hormonal pattern (spoiler for an upcoming podcast; most people's hormonal problems are actually nervous system problems).

The health of your cells determines the message sent back to your brain, shifting your thoughts to respond accordingly. Unhealthy cells trigger a stress response that changes your hormones, energy and thought patterns.

If you want to think differently, nourish your cells to respond differently.

On the latest podcast in Health School, we begin our dive into the nervous system and how it influences the entire structure of your biology (including your thoughts).

The nervous system is one of the most brilliant systems inside the body. Instead of hating it, I am excited to teach you how to befriend it so you can work together with it to create the outcomes you desire.

**Listen to the podcast here (+ get my top five tips to nourish your nervous system)!

Therapy needs to be supported with lifestyle changes.

Therapy can do so many things, but it isn't going to save you like I had hoped it would. You should work on thinking better, but you also have to treat your body better.

When I treat my body better, I'll naturally think about my body in healthier ways.

Try letting go of the long-term outcome and show up today. What are some things your body needs right now? What does your nervous system need to regulate?

A few unconventional things that have made a massive difference in how I think include:

Daily movement - Stress is not meant to sit, and thus why, I believe our "rest-based" lifestyles are creating a new extreme of unhealthy nervous system patterns.
Daily mineral consumption
Daily sunlight and fresh air
Working on blood sugar regulation
Lymphatic movement
More face-to-face connections
Fitting work into my life rather than trying to fit life into my work
Getting creative with cooking
Dedicated screen-free time
Practicing a weekly sabbath - Perhaps still the hardest yet most healing.
Playing more in a variety of ways
Eating consistent meal times
Having a consistent bedtime
Boundaries on work time
Morning prayer and devotions
Physical touch with kids and spouse - A 20-second hug can release enough oxytocin to shut off your stress pattern.
Watching shows and listening to music that reinforces healthy thoughts
Reading more books and scrolling less
Forgiveness to others and to myself

I could keep going with the list, which might feel excessive, but it's showing up right where you are. It's choosing to engage with the most nourishing thing, even if that happens to be in the middle of complicated things.

Thinking better isn't about getting rid of stress. It's building resiliency within your body so stress doesn't have the same sting.

Listen to the podcast. I'll expand on it next week!

For now, what is on your list? Let's keep the ideas rolling in!