Brain Health: Attitude and Mindset

 Can your own mindset and attitude affect your brain health?

I'm sure you have heard stories about people who were chronically or terminally ill miraculously recovering from illnesses. What a lot of these stories have in common is the mindset and attitude of those individuals who were fighting against their illnesses. They remained hopeful, and optimistic and believed that they could manage their illness rather than catastrophizing it.

Various research studies have shown that adopting a positive mindset and adaptive attitude can improve the effectiveness and outcomes of treatments, decrease the perception of pain, and improve cognitive functioning and overall psychological well-being. Furthermore, having a fixated, negative mindset that catastrophizes outcomes and focuses on the negative aspects, often leads to a decline in mental and physical health. This type of mindset often leads to feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress which impairs various physiological systems including the immune system and cardiovascular system. 

This is how many people with chronic or terminal illnesses recover. They believed that they would heal and focused on the positive side of things. This prevented their body and mind from experiencing any further distress and this allowed various treatments to work effectively. 

How does our attitude affect our brain?

Remember the term Neuroplasticity? Neuroplasticity allows us to rewire our brains and change the way we think, behave, and perceive information. If we have a fixated mindset we are wired to automatically have a negative outlook on a situation. But if we have a positive mindset we don't dwell on the endless possibilities of what could go wrong, rather we automatically look for a reason to be optimistic and hopeful. 

By putting in an effort to maintain a positive mindset and healthy attitude towards life and its challenges, we strengthen those neural connections in our brains. Eventually, we automatically face and adapt to challenges with innovation, determination and confidence. 

But there's more... 

Having a positive, healthy mindset means that you are more likely to try new things and challenge yourself. Each time you try a new activity, learn something new, or do something that challenges you, you are actually exercising your brain and keeping it healthy.  Studies have even suggested that maintaining an optimistic outlook on life can reduce your risk of dementia and neuro-inflammation, and improve various cognitive functions.

What type of mindset do you have now?

Do you want to rewire your brain?

Try new exercises and outdoor activities, complete crossword puzzles, sudoku and challenge someone to a game of chess. Aim to become someone who isn't perfect, but adaptable💪