The Journey That Is Health & Wellness

By Monica Grizzaffi

When we think of our health and well-being, especially in the presence of disease, chronic pain, or discomfort, the physical body is often the sole focus. It’s easy to overlook how our mental state can impact our physical sensations. However, the relationship between the thoughts in the mind and its effects on the body is very real and very strong, and we have the power to greatly influence the outcome.

While the brain certainly isn’t categorized as a muscle, I often compare it to one when I am trying to help others understand the concept of adjusting our thought processes.

When we want to increase our physical strength, especially a specific area, we focus on that one place by perhaps adding more weights or increasing repetitions in our routine. If we want to improve a skill, we repeat it until we have learned to smoothly perform the task that we are undertaking. A similar approach can be taken with our thought patterns and how they can influence the health of our bodies.

One way to begin is to notice our inner dialogue when going about our daily routines. How critical are we of ourselves and of others? How negative are we in situations that can perhaps be viewed in a more positive light?

How often do we feel offended by others' actions when, in fact, it may not even be about us…and if it is…so what? Without judgement, notice these things. If it is something that you want to change or even just improve upon, realize that with practice, you can actively choose to think differently and that this change could improve your physical well-being as well.

Take small moments to reflect on your initial response to situations that pull you into a negative headspace, then take steps to look at other possible ways to view it.

One tactic I personally use is that if someone else’s actions upset or offend me, I simply decide that their actions have nothing to do with me. I also decide not to ascribe personality traits or characteristics based on a one-time exposure to someone. Something might be going on in their lives, be it stress, pain, or simply a bad day, and they aren’t their best selves at the moment. I find myself feeling happier as a result of my own choice to give everyone around me a little grace and view everything from a more positive perspective.

This general outlook influences how deeply I breathe, how I hold my posture, and even how I sleep at night…all important assets to overall health and well-being.

A much more difficult task is mentally helping our bodies deal with chronic pain. It may seem an impossible feat but it absolutely can be done. As a cancer survivor for over 22 years, I am unfortunately very familiar with managing excruciating, chronic pain both during chemotherapy and in the wake of its lifelong aftermath. But much like building up physical strength in the body, building up the mental strength and focus necessary to deal with chronic pain takes time and routine effort.

A good place to begin is with guided imagery. Many types of guided imagery are easily accessible on apps and music platforms, with many areas of focus to choose from…pain, anxiety, trauma, difficulty sleeping, or even just general healing or relaxation.

Explore the different options available and if the first one doesn’t fit, keep trying new ones until one works for you. The concept is that if you repeatedly envision a situation, it can become a reality. Doing this is so incredibly difficult when you’re in pain. But if you keep at it, it can work.

When my body decides to go sideways and cause a disruption in my life, I go back to the guided imagery, back to the repeated mantras of health, back to envisioning my body functioning properly and doing the things that it can no longer do at the moment but that I know it is capable of.

It takes time, sometimes months, but it does heal. Would it have healed on its own, regardless of what I am doing? Maybe, maybe not. I like feeling that I have some power over my body at a time when I otherwise feel so powerless. So even if it only helps ease some of the mental anguish and fear caused by physical pain, most days that’s enough for me. Instead of being stuck in the pain, I look ahead to when it will ease off and that alone helps tremendously.

If these types of mental practices are new to you, be patient with yourself. Sit in the journey and allow yourself to feel good just for your effort. It takes time to change thinking patterns… years of responding in a particular way have established strong neural pathways in the brain… but change can be done.

Getting rid of negative thought patterns and changing them to more positive, or even neutral ones, can be very liberating and you can actually begin to feel a shift in your physical well-being as a result.

And I wish you well on beginning your new adventures in wellness.

Monica Grizzaffi is a registered nurse also educated in psychology and fine arts. She is a twenty-two year cancer survivor of stage IV Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is passionate about educating others on healthy living and disease prevention, especially through diet.