It seems like everyday, all day, news is constantly breaking. I’m flooded with emails, Facebook notifications, Instagram stories, news, text messages and so on. All. Day. Long. I realized that the constant absorption of what always seems like negative news has started to take its toll on me. I started to wonder, “Do my thoughts affect me? Do they affect my health and fitness? And for crying out loud, how am I supposed to stay positive??”
A quick google search filled me with information I already believed to be true. “Quantum physics teaches us that our thoughts are vibrations of energy that have a powerful influence on your life.” (John Kehoe) Ok so maybe I didn’t know all that, but more simply stated “what you focus on, you attract” is a basic truth we all know deep down, but struggle to believe. Mind and body are indeed connected. Most of us know that negative thoughts such as excessive worry, anxiety, and stress are linked to a range of health problems and often lead those to suffer from a weakened immune system. BUT before you say “Great. Thanks Alisha for affirming my fears of weakening my immune system in a time like this..” did you know positive thoughts have been shown to create healing effects in the body?!?!
Thoughts are powerful. They even affect your heart rate. Positive thoughts have the power to energize you and help you to reach health and fitness goals. “We can choose what part of the randomness around us to be affected by and how we in turn would like to affect it” (Peter Baksa) So here are some basic steps to help us have positive thoughts to heal our bodies, stay healthy, oh and bonus- stay connected with others :)
Become aware of your thoughts: Seems simple, right? Not always. My own husband (thanks Jeff) pointed out that all the news I was just relaying to him was affecting my mood and behavior. So take some deep belly yoga breaths, and filter through your thoughts. Make sure empowering and positive thoughts are dominating the mind.
Spend time meditating or praying: This lowers your heart rate, reduces cortisol,and lowers your blood pressure. This is a great time to journal or write and just quiet your soul. Connect to our Creator.
Get outside every day: Vitamin D (hello sunshine) and fresh air are natural germicides (bye bye virus), mood enhancers, and even help with muscle soreness. I know Iowa has not embraced Spring just yet, but even 10 minutes a day will boost your immune system and elevate your mood.
Listen to music: Music boosts happiness, enhances your immune system, improves sleep quality, and maximizes your workout. Whoa! Read that list again. Put some music on, maybe even throw in some dance moves, and enjoy.
And finally, Limit screen time: If you notice your mood and thoughts changing while online, stop! I completely encourage reaching out to friends and family via FaceTime, google hangouts, zoom, live videos, etc (STAY CONNECTED TO LOVED ONES!!!) but stay away from the comparison game, negative thoughts and depressing news that surround online interactions. Stay up to date on news, but do not go into a dark hole of information that consumes you.
I miss all of you and hope we are all back together sweating side by side in no time. In the meantime, stay positive, reach out when you need help, and check on those around you. I will be doing some FaceTime workouts with those interested this week! Message me and say hi!
Coach Alisha