Dr. Phil was recently on TV and said the higher our anxiety level is, the more likely we are to get sick.
The more calm and peace we feel, the healthier we stay. I explain why below.
The reason we feel anxiety is because of the particular chemical state in our brains. Stress hormones (i.e. chemicals) such as cortisol, destroy our peace. To make matters worse, sustained high levels of cortisol will compromise your immune system.
On the otherhand we have hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, which are related to feelings of peace and joy.
If you want to help your body naturally defend itself, you need to reduce your anxiety. To do that, you need to control the stress hormones which are being manufactured by your body. Thankfully, this is not entirely out of your control.
Here’s now to improve the chemical state of your brain…
- Change your thoughts from negative to positive. Your thoughts are quite literally an electro-chemical reaction. E.g. Chemicals are emitted every time you think. Think happy thoughts and the chemicals will naturally be ‘happy’. Sound too good to be true? Test it, you’ll soon find out that your own thoughts can act like a drug.
- Repeat positive phrases to yourself, outloud, such as;
- What a wonderful day
- I am so very happy
- I am safe and secure
- I am grateful for _______ (fill in the blank)
- Smile a lot. This too releases the happy chemicals.
- Getting overwhelmed? Stop everything and take several deep breaths.
- Refrain from thinking thoughts which stir up anxiety. Discipline yourself!
- Refrain from having conversations which stir up anxiety. Walk away if needed, or tell your companion to keep things happy.
- Drink lots of water.
- Get plenty of sleep. Don’t stay up too late!
- Don’t drink alcohol. It is a known depressant.
- Do some vigorous exercise, which releases endorphins, causing a similar effect to morphine.
Your body has an amazing defense system. We get attacked by germs all the time, but mostly are unaware because our body wards off issues before we even feel the effects.
If you do start to feel symptoms, even a runny nose, you need to help your body defend itself.
Take this immediate action…
- Go to bed. Don’t wait. Don’t go shopping. Don’t cook dinner. Go to bed! Your body will use the saved energy to deal with the invader.
- Cover yourself up with more blankets than usual. This reduces the body’s need to create heat to keep you warm. The energy can be used to fight off whatever is attacking you.
- Drink a half litre of water per hour for the first couple of hours. This will facilitate flushing and make it easier for your body to mount a strong defence.
If your immune system is strong, you are more likely to sail through any crisis. Serious about staying healthy? Calm down. Be at peace. Have fun. Enjoy yourself!