13 Powerful Ways to Strengthen your Immune System with your Mind
Whatever time of year we are navigating, there are always opportunities to improve immunity; but did you know that the most important contribution of a well-functioning immune system is through your mind? The body and mind are a unified team who each respond to one another’s messages and signals. Your immune system is a hugely intelligent virus, bacteria and disease fighting machine that is truly miraculous. However, trust in this system can become foggy when shrouded by the constant bombardment of adverts for pills and potions, depreciating the supremacy of your own inner healing powers.
A Healthy Perspective
How often do you connect with your body? Do you ever ask your body what it needs? Many people are often in “their head” and forget that the body is a super intelligent engine, programmed unconsciously with their mind. What you think about sends messages into your body and your body responds. If there is a lot of stress, worry or fear coming from your mind, your body will prepare itself for battle which can be very counterproductive to health and immunity. This is why people get sick through burnout or from perpetuating fears and anxieties.
Viewing things from a different perspective can help us understand ourselves more. In NLP we use an effective technique called “perceptual positions” which allows a client to solve a problem or topic from a different angle to their usual perception of first person. This technique is the basis of this exercise to help you feel, see and hear from the disassociated perspective of your mind and your immune system with some great advice to end. Notice what comes up for you whilst reading it!
The dialogue starts from a letter to your mind from your immune system:
“Dear Mind
Thank you for sharing all your thoughts and memories as you go about your day, when you have “good feeling” thoughts I feel strong and able to function in a way that serves us both. I can use all my natural resources to fight off infection and disease and keep you functioning effectively long term.
Lately I am noticing that you have been absorbed in fear and worry about becoming sick. When you are in fear, I instantaneously react propelling my thymus gland to respond urgently to your messages, this causes war like neurotransmitters to fire out information that send me into a hype preparing me for a battle. I throw on my warrior armour and feel a rush of adrenaline that makes me tense and on standby for an invasion, but then most of the time that invasion never comes and I feel drained and tired making me weaker. As this is happening so frequently, I feel it’s important to remind you that what you think about affects me too. I was hoping we could learn to work as a team to keep us both really healthy?”
“Dear Immune System
I am sorry to create such chaos I had no idea! Sometimes I get very overwhelmed with negativity from the outside world and other people’s fears and opinions about what is happening globally or perhaps an opinion about me. Then I get triggered emotionally and sometimes I’m not even aware of it. I think about the worst possible scenario when I hear stories in the news or read stuff online; these heavy loads of information ripple through my senses and I feel like I’m in danger. Because I think so much, I exaggerate and magnify my fears and worries even when nothing is actually happening to me, I don’t even know what’s real or if I am imagining it!
THEN when I’m not worrying about being sick, I worry about being hurt and rejected. I hold on to past shame, I judge myself on my actions because I care so deeply about what other people think about me. I feel anger at some of the things that happened to me in the past and it’s like a constant film playing out causing me to re-live those experiences. I frequently analyse myself too and then I can’t sleep! I need to keep us alive, so it is for a positive reason I promise! What would you like me to do instead?”
“Dear Mind
If we can work together in harmony we can create an amazing environment of health and wellbeing, but I need you to change your thought atmosphere because what you think about affects me too. I need good nutritious food as I cannot help you if you don’t gift me with the tools I need to work my excellence on healing cells and repairing micro dysfunctions. When you do physical exercise I just love to feel the rush of oxygenated blood running through my system so I have more energy and can give your organs strength and vitality. I love being able to propel life force through your red and white blood cells because when they are well, my entire system is well. If you could relax a bit more and practice mastering your thoughts, that would really help us!”
“Dear Immune System
I can see how making small daily changes will have such a huge impact for both of us. I can see how important it is we work together in harmony because we both want exactly same thing, to stay alive and be healthy. How did I not see that before?
I want to help you do your job properly so I will make some positive changes starting now!
1. I will be more thoughtful about what is influencing my daily thoughts via the media, computer games, films, my habits and people’s opinions. I realise these stimulants have a big impact on my emotional signals as I don’t know the difference between what is real and what is imagined.
2. I will focus on healing old memories and feelings in my subconscious so I begin to start channeling positive thoughts instead. If I can’t do this on my own at first, I will seek some support to work through my fears and worries. I know that the time I give to my own self-healing will help the people around me too.
3. I will improve my eating habits because food and nutrition are hugely significant for us to function properly and I want you to have the tools to energise my cells and keep us healthy.
4. I now remember your ability to do a great job at fighting off infections and diseases because this is what you are built for. You are very intelligent without always needing to seek “outside” help.
5. I will move my body often so we can harmonise a beautiful melody of feel-good endorphins and dopamine that will boost my mood and strengthen our communications.
6. I will spend more time in nature because I realise that clean oxygen is good for my mindset, skin and lungs. I know that I am wired to the elements and frequency of nature and sunlight. Those things are important for a strong immunity and happy mind.
7. I will ensure I have a healthy sleeping pattern and harmonise with the cycle of day and night because when I release melatonin I sleep naturally. Whilst I’m asleep I know that my body is recharging and formulating feel-good hormones like serotonin which helps with my mood regulation upon waking.
8. I will be more loving to myself by being aware of the chemicals and toxins I consume as I know these upset the microbiome and good bacteria in my gut and immunity of my body.
9. I will tell myself regularly that I am strong in mind, healthy in body and can trust my own inner healing system. I am aware that when I transmit good feelings to you, you feel good too!
10. I understand that fear is an illusion and can be thrust upon me unconsciously so I will take more time to relax and be in the present. I know that when I am in the present my fear dissolves.
11. I will make a conscious effort to visualise my cells as happy and healthy. I will imagine them all with smiling faces because when I smile, my blood cells smile too.
12. I know that in the past I may have had some nasty judgements about you but I now have gratitude and thank you for the brilliant, profound and highly intellectual system you are, keeping us alive in every beat of our heart.
13. I understand that I have the greatest power of all because you respond to my guidance. I know that what I think and believe penetrates through us both. I will seek out positive and uplifting thoughts and communication so we feel good together.”
A little daily practice makes a bit difference!
I hope this article helps you to see how important it is to look after your mind in challenging times. The mind will always take you towards what you repetitively think or “feed it” and I have written more about this in a separate article here. This same technique can also be done between different parts of you, or between you and family/friend/partner for a different perspective. Wishing you the best of luck in your mind health and well being!
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