Five Mindset Mistakes That Hurt Your Health and How to Tip ... · While your genes may predispose...

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Five Mindset Mistakes That Hurt Your Health and How to Tip Them Toward Better Health and Happiness At Holistic MindBody Healing, we believe that wellness is your greatest asset. Do you? In today’s crazy world, we are dealing with a number of factors that impact our health and happiness. Our lives move at such a fast pace that it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters. We take a narrow view of wellness. We sacrifice health to pursue wealth and the next great thing. We forget that good health is ultimately the greatest wealth, and that happiness and quality of life are intimately linked to wellness in all its facets. As long as our bodies are not sick and take us where we want to go, we try not to worry too much. As long as we can convince our minds to tolerate and suppress being out of alignment with our dreams and feelings of wellbeing, we soldier on. Yet as midlife approaches and time slips by, our minds and bodies turn up the volume on the signals that all is not well. The cost of ignoring or suppressing these signals, in terms of quality of life and financial burden, are often high. Even still, it is usually only when crisis strikes – personally or to someone near and dear, that we wake up long enough to realize it’s time to take action. As midlifers deal with these challenges, we all too often look for solutions on how to be healthier and happier. This is the time of life when we realize something has to give. We are no longer willing, or able, to suppress feeling fed up and dissatisfied with the effects and fears of neglecting our mental and physical health. The price is just too high. Sometimes, we focus our attention and effort on our changing physical bodies, while forgetting to consider other factors that are equally important aspects of wellness. When we do glimpse the whole picture, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by our perceived need to change. This is complicated by an abundance of information, much of it conflicting, telling us what to do and how to do it. With all of that, and our comfort zones calling us back to the ‘safety’ of the routine and status quo, it is tempting to just ‘shut down’ instead of changing our lives for the better. We make false starts and take random action. And we are probably making at least one, if not all, of these five wellness mistakes. Note: If this sounds like you, take heart. Read about the five wellness mistakes and then use the tips that resonates with you to tip the health scales in your favor. Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holisticmindbodyhealing.com

Transcript of Five Mindset Mistakes That Hurt Your Health and How to Tip ... · While your genes may predispose...

Five Mindset Mistakes That Hurt Your Health and How to Tip Them Toward Better Health and Happiness

At Holistic MindBody Healing, we believe that wellness is your greatest asset. Do you? In today’s crazy world, we are dealing with a number of factors that impact our health and happiness. Our lives move at such a fast pace that it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters. We take a narrow view of wellness. We sacrifice health to pursue wealth and the next great thing. We forget that good health is ultimately the greatest wealth, and that happiness and quality of life are intimately linked to wellness in all its facets. As long as our bodies are not sick and take us where we want to go, we try not to worry too much. As long as we can convince our minds to tolerate and suppress being out of alignment with our dreams and feelings of well­being, we soldier on. Yet as mid­life approaches and time slips by, our minds and bodies turn up the volume on the signals that all is not well. The cost of ignoring or suppressing these signals, in terms of quality of life and financial burden, are often high. Even still, it is usually only when crisis strikes – personally or to someone near and dear, that we wake up long enough to realize it’s time to take action. As mid­lifers deal with these challenges, we all too often look for solutions on how to be healthier and happier. This is the time of life when we realize something has to give. We are no longer willing, or able, to suppress feeling fed up and dissatisfied with the effects and fears of neglecting our mental and physical health. The price is just too high. Sometimes, we focus our attention and effort on our changing physical bodies, while forgetting to consider other factors that are equally important aspects of wellness. When we do glimpse the whole picture, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by our perceived need to change. This is complicated by an abundance of information, much of it conflicting, telling us what to do and how to do it. With all of that, and our comfort zones calling us back to the ‘safety’ of the routine and status quo, it is tempting to just ‘shut down’ instead of changing our lives for the better. We make false starts and take random action. And we are probably making at least one, if not all, of these five wellness mistakes. Note: If this sounds like you, take heart. Read about the five wellness mistakes and then use the tips that resonates with you to tip the health scales in your favor.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Mindset Mistake #1: You approach your health as if you were a bunch of parts.

Parts is parts when it comes to automobiles and mechanical items ­you only need to fix or replace what’s broken and off you go. Not so with living beings who are much more complex. It’s easy to see how this point of view took hold, when you consider our current system of health care. Rare is the family doctor who cares for young and old, from diagnosis back to health, for all but the most serious cases. Instead, your primary care doctor is often just that –first.

From that starting point, you are likely to be referred to one or more specialists for anything more than basic health care. There’s one for your heart, another for your eyes, yet another for your GI tract. If you have mental symptoms, there are specialists for that too. Of course, specialized treatment is important and has its place. Heaven knows it has saved many lives. Who wouldn’t want a heart specialist monitoring your leaky valves and doing your bypass surgery? That’s not the problem. This is. When your care is focused solely on one body part or system, it seldom takes you to the cause of your symptoms. Treatment starts and stops at the symptoms. The offending part is medicated, suppressed, or cut out. This is akin to shooting the messenger or putting a band­aid on skin cancer so you don’t see it. Your numbers may look normal, but behind the scenes, in the inner workings of your mind and body, it is anything but normal. You may actually get worse as you fight your body’s innate ways of trying to bring balance and heal – your symptoms. You are not only ignoring the mind body connection, but the connection between systems in your body. It is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to connect the dots and get to the root cause. Traumas and chemical exposures as a young child may be long buried in your subconscious and your body. Still, the questions beg asking. Why now? Why in that system? What triggered it after all these years? This parts approach is not limited to health care. It plays out in relationships and other areas of life. Here is a common scenario. Someone blames you for making him upset and cuts himself off from you. You think he is over­reacting, and may not even be sure why he got upset. It never occurs to him that your comment triggered something within him from the past, and really has little, if anything, to do with you. His limited view appears to create a solution, but does nothing to heal the real wound inside. This belief, that health care that focuses on parts, fosters a system that ignores your needs as a whole person. That could make the difference between creating a better quality of life and settling for coping with a health condition that never really goes away.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Tip the Scales: In all things health and happiness, take the whole person view. Why is this important? Although mind body healing is thousands of years old, modern medicine has only recently begun giving it attention. Yet more and more research is showing that it is a critical piece in healing. Chances are, if someone is suffering from a variety of symptoms at the same time – mental and/or physical ­ or in succession, they are connected. To piece them out will delay a proper diagnosis and resolution. Consider another common example: You have twenty pounds to lose. No mystery there. You know the drill ­ eat less and exercise more. Until you hit a wall. The weight does not come off, you get discouraged, go back to your old habits and end up with five additional pounds. Why? You are approaching weight loss from a limited, or parts, perspective. Have you considered your disrupted hormones and your thyroid that has slowed down from years of abuse? Do you have environmental challenges or inner programming that says sweets equal love? Is too much dis­stress in your life driving you to crave junk food and over­eat? This is a recurring theme here at Holistic MindBody Healing. Everything – your physical body, your environment, your relationships, the state of your finances and career; these all play vital roles when it comes to your health and happiness. Holistic health and healing is a whole person approach because your mind affects your physical health and your body affects your mental well­being. This is the bigger picture that allopathy (the parts approach) downplays or ignores. Emerging research proves more and more that the most important factor of even physical health is your mind. Your thoughts and beliefs shape who you are in body, mind and spirit. Years ago I heard a prominent oncologist tell a story to back this up. His wife was the social worker on many of his cases. After three years of working together, he acknowledged her uncanny ability to predict who would survive long­term and who wouldn’t. She told him it was the patients who made self­affirming changes in their lives, even if they were difficult, who lived. No one knows for sure if the life stresses these patients experienced caused the cancer, but it is evident they played a part in the disease process. It is also evident that relieving the source of those stresses was critical. For some it was a literally matter of life and death. Addressing the needs of the whole person – mind, body and spirit made the difference. And as you can see, the cost and the payoffs can be high.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Mindset Mistake #2: You believe you are at the mercy of your genes. Many of us were taught the myth of the big bad genes and believed it for far too long. If only it were true – then we could abdicate personal responsibility for our health and actions and engage in whatever bad habits we want to without repercussion.

For many years scientists believed and taught that our genes dictated our health future. Our genes were thought to be the primary cause of how we aged and the diseases we were destined to experience. To a large extent, it was believed they even control how we behave. It makes sense, right? After all, you can probably track a family history of health conditions through several generations. My health records report a family history of breast cancer. For my husband, that history shows heart disease on both sides. And don’t you put your hands on your hips when you get angry, just like mom and grandma? Or have the same speech patterns? (These are probably learned behaviors.) Sorry to say, but the belief that genes control your health and longevity destiny no longer holds water. Unless you are in the two percent of the population that has a genetic condition, such as muscular dystrophy or hemophilia, your genes are not the main culprit for poor health.

Tip the Scales: Accept that genes play a part in your health, but lifestyle and learning rules.

Once the genome project was completed in 2003, and the study of epigenetics emerged, scientists learned the surprising truth. We have far fewer genes than previously thought and they are not the masters of our fate. Your physical makeup is hereditary. About 50% of your ‘hard wiring’ is also genetic. These traits are what makes you human. You have innate talents, intelligence and personality traits, but these are malleable. For example, a child raised in a stimulating, language­rich environment can gain 20 IQ points over a child born with similar intelligence raised in a home where she is rarely spoken to and plopped in front of the TV. When it comes to health, inherited genetic disorders such as hemophilia are at the mercy of genetics.This is not the case for what are now known as the lifestyle diseases ­ cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. These diseases were rare until the early 1900’s and have escalated ever since.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

While your genes may predispose you to certain conditions, it is the environment your cells live in that actually exerts more influence over when and how your genes express themselves. Think of it this way, “Genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.” (Bruce Lipton, PhD.) So in truth, when it comes to degenerative diseases, you are primarily destined by your lifestyle and perceptions, and the effect they have on your genes. The field of epigenetics (meaning ‘over the genes’) shows that the environment you create for your cells to live in accounts for approximately 80% of your risk factor for lifestyle diseases. Under good conditions, you can be the exception to what appears to be the family rule. When you create an unhealthy environment for your cells, the predisposed genes turn on. Family vulnerabilities become your reality too. This environment is affected by our thoughts, perceptions, nutrients, chemicals, sleep, exercise, and stress. It is can also be affected generationally. For example, a pregnant mother who eats too much sugar can cause her developing daughter’s eggs to become more insulin resistant. This mother is literally affecting her grandchildren’s health directly through the daughter she is carrying. That is something to think about. And what about all the family similarities we share? When it comes to our thought process and behaviors, much of what we attribute to genetics is learned. Believe it or not, learning starts in the womb. For the first six years, children are like little sponges. They absorb the bulk of the language, mannerisms, behaviors and beliefs that will shape their lives. As adults it is also possible to learn and change. Your brain is always ‘plastic’ and able to create new pathways. As a matter of fact, it is lifelong learning, staying mentally active, and challenging yourself to grow that helps your brain stay healthy. Habits may be hard to change, but that is because of learned programming, not genetics. You may have a ‘set point’ for personality traits or physical abilities, but you can affect these positively or negatively by your thoughts and actions. Thanks to scientific research, you are now free of the disempowering victim story of your genes leading you on an inevitable path toward disease, premature aging and predestined behaviors. Now you can use this new knowledge to inspire and empower yourself to create new behaviors and realities that support your mind, body and spirit. This will help keep those vulnerable genes turned off and your good health turned on for many years to come. Watch Bruce Lipton’s enlightenig presentation, The Biology of Perception, in the member’s area to learn how your beliefs and perceptions affect your genes. Fascinating.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Mindset Mistake #3: You Do Not Think of Your Health as a Priority

Because lifestyle health problems take years to manifest, and so many things clamor for our attention, and we seem fine, health often takes a backseat in our minds. Besides, it is convenient and even enjoyable to practice habits that are contrary to long term health. Doing healthy things is often viewed as deprivation or bothersome. Health is just not a priority.

In addition, when it comes to everyday living, and your health in particular, it is easy to act on auto­pilot. Instead of creating life on purpose, you create it by default. It’s natural to let programmed behaviors and habits run the show instead of taking control (which is why the gene myth seems so real). It is easy to forget that just about everything you do tips the scales in favor of enhancing or negating your health whether you realize it or not. And it’s easy to fail to connect the dots between all aspects of your life and their effect on your physical and mental health. Perhaps (up until now) you believed your health habits didn’t matter or you gave up because change seemed out of reach. If this sounds like you, don’t judge yourself harshly. Change is often difficult. Our modern lifestyle lends itself to situations and behaviors that tip the scales toward poor health. Frankly, I find it amazing that our minds and bodies hold out as long as they do. When you factor in the job, financial and relational stresses on personal, national, and global levels, the barrage of negative self­talk we heap on ourselves, an overabundance of toxic chemicals in our food, water and air supply, genetically engineered, poisoned, nutrient poor foods, and lack of exercise and sleep, it’s a wonder most of us survive to adulthood. I’m not trying to paint an overly grim picture, but the truth is the above scenario barely scratches the surface. This mistake of not making wellness of mind, body and spirit a priority can be the costliest mistake of all. As you read in Mistake #2, lifestyle affects your genes for better or worse. Disease is usually much easier to prevent than to cure. Of these five tips, establishing and maintaining healthy living habits is often the most difficult. Many people won’t make necessary changes even when their lives are at stake. It requires not only mindset shifts, but shifts in habits and behaviors as well.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Tip the Scales: Prioritize wellness and health­promoting behaviors. This tip sounds so obvious, yet it is easier said than done. The bad news is that it is not possible to eliminate some of these problems entirely. However, with a good plan and consistent, conscious effort you can tip the scales in your favor. It is so worth it. Remember to take a whole self approach. Make changes slowly. It is always better to take one small step at a time and have success, than to try to do it all and end up back where you started three weeks later. Here is a simple, easy tip to get you started. I love this tip because once you make the switch you do not have to rely on will power to keep it up. Replace your toxic household cleaners and personal toiletries with non­toxic supplies. This and other eco­friendly living practices will make a significant impact over time in terms of health enhancement for you, your family, and the environment. In my own home I’ve upped my commitment to using non­toxic products. There are so many available now and I find they are just effective for most jobs. I started with plant­based laundry soaps and progressed to general cleaning supplies. Next went the artificial (chemical) sweeteners. My most recent switch was to organic shampoo and conditioner. And when I get tempted by a less expensive bottle of shampoo or an artificially sweetened diet drink I remind myself that chemicals disrupt my hormones and cause cancer. No thanks. For shifts that require a change of mindset or behavior, consider what new habits you can link up with your established habits or something that doesn’t require too big a leap. Record your favorite late night show and go to sleep an hour earlier. For example: choose the bag of organic apples that are next to the heavily sprayed variety. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Go for a walk at lunch. Enjoy mini­breaks during the day and before eating. Take a few deep breaths and drop your shoulders between activities. Be creative. Do consider your mental and emotional habits as well. Use thought and emotion shifting techniques that help can help you dump your mental trash and replace it with life­enhancing thoughts and beliefs. Let go of that old grudge. Give yourself permission to play and have fun. Do take a few moments now and again and weigh your thoughts, beliefs, habits and life choices on the health and wellness enhancing or negating scale. At first it may appear that you are weighed down on the health negating side. Don’t feel discouraged. Claim your power, take those small steps, and know that even though sooner is better than later, it is never too late to make positive changes. Be persistent and before you know it you will see the scale tipping in your favor. Remember: Small steps taken consistently yield big payoffs. If you ‘fall’, get back up. Don’t give up. Remind yourself that having better health will help you achieve your life goals and improve your quality of life.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Mindset Mistake #4: You abdicate responsibility for your health and happiness. I don’t know what you heard growing up, but when it came to health decisions, the adults would say, “The doctor knows best.” Of course, this is sometimes true. But when common­sense gives way to the conventional medical wisdom of the day, something is amiss. Remember when new mothers were encouraged to use formula instead of breast­feeding? Or when (trans­fat filled) margarine was touted as better than real butter? Turns out it wasn’t. And the list goes on.

It is common for people to abdicate personal responsibility for their health. We willingly entrust ourselves to someone else, an ‘expert’, especially when there are difficult decisions to be made. In an emergency situation this may be necessary, but otherwise this can be a big mistake. We abdicate our responsibilities in other ways as well. We expect other people to meet our needs and make us happy. We expect the government to take care of us. We rationalize that our small individual role in polluting and littering make no difference. We give away our power and responsibility and then feel justified to complain about how things are. We fall into victim mentality and blame others when things go wrong. Even though it seems easier to transfer responsibility to others, consider that along with the responsibility goes your personal power. And it is often much more difficult to reclaim that power than it is to give it away. Abdicating responsibility and not making wellness a priority go hand in hand. Doctors face many patients experiencing lifestyle diseases on a daily basis. Often, they don’t offer more than a suggestion for lifestyle changes because they know most patients won’t follow through. And they are correct. If you have a lifestyle disease (or are at risk) and you are making these two mistakes, the costs to continue usually amount to worsening health, prescription drugs that only suppress and mask symptoms, possible surgeries and hospitalizations with all their inherent risks, and lower quality of life. No, these are not pleasant words. They are not intended to be judgmental. They are intended to get us to open our eyes and say ‘no more’. The trap of giving up personal power and responsibility is in exchange for ‘being taken care of’ is enticing. Few have avoided it completely. As we see the repercussions of this mentality manifesting in our homes, in our health care, and on a national and global scale, it’s easy to see we have created a recipe for disaster. To believe that family members hold our highest interests at heart may be reasonable. To believe the same of most politicians and corporations, including the medical system, is a grand delusion. They may want you to believe just that, but in reality, money, power and special interests are driving their train.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Tip the Scales: Take full responsibility for your well­being. First, keep in mind that taking responsibility does not mean going it alone. Seeking the advice and help of an expert is wise. Getting help when needed is not a sign of abdicating responsibility, it is acting responsibly. The difference is that when you do seek help, you are an engaged and active participant in the process. You can still choose just the road of standard medical care or take the road of holistic healing. The best choice may be to employ the best of both systems as they relate to your needs. What is key is that you make the choice and own it. Don’t just go on blind faith and turn your care and power over to someone else completely. Thanks to the encouragement of ‘TV doctors’, holistic practitioners and physicians, and the wealth of information available online, patients are becoming partners and advocates in their own health care. They expect the truth, full disclosure, and second opinions. They are paying attention to risks and reviewing procedural success rates. As conventional medicine goes up against the renaissance of holistic healing, patients are beginning to challenge the status quo. They are exploring options, demanding access to natural healing methods and getting them. They expect to have a say in their treatment plans. And this is a good thing. Research shows us that ‘difficult’ patients who speak up and take an active role in their recovery heal faster and do better. Even though I have a great deal of respect for medical professionals, there are times I know I can be an annoying patient. I ask a lot of questions, make my own decisions, and challenge some protocols. I say “No” to some prescriptions and procedures and “Yes” to others. One of my doctors fired me. That’s okay, I’m still alive. It’s my health and I accept full responsibility for it. I encourage you to view your relationship with your medical providers as a partnership. Expect to be wisely guided by more than legalities and fear. Expect to be respected, fully informed, and have the final say in your health program. Don’t expect your doctors to play God. Like the rest of us, they are imperfect people who make mistakes. Do your due diligence by researching your condition and best practices available in conventional and alternative medicine. Carry this approach into other areas of your life as well. Accept responsibility for your own happiness. Speak up, step up, do what it takes. Don’t expect another to carry that burden. Likewise, avoid pushing your agenda onto someone else. It never really turns out well when you do. Becoming aware of where and when you are abdicating personal responsibility and stepping into your power require a shift in thinking and behavior that is well worth your efforts. The process may at times be uncomfortable, and it will pay off in all areas of your life.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Note: Taking responsibility is often confused with blame and guilt. That is not the case. Blame serves no one. If you realize you made poor choices in the past, and are paying for them today, acknowledge that truth and move on. If you have been hurt by the bad choices and actions of others, that can be harder to take. My neck was badly whiplashed on two occasions by inattentive drivers. The first time, it was treated improperly by my chiropractor. I spent years in pain, and have occasional relapses because of each of those accidents. The fact is, I was injured twice by no fault of my own. Another fact is that, every time I relived the experience, and got angry and tense about it, I was doing that to myself. Remember that your brain responds the same way to a vividly imagined event and the real thing. The bottom line is that bad stuff happens, really bad stuff sometimes. The questions become, “Will I keep myself a victim of those events and/or choices forever, or will I accept responsibility for my life now? Will I make the choice to release my emotional attachment to the past? Or, will I focus on today, and what I want for tomorrow? Read about ways to shift negative thoughts and emotions here. Do consult with a mental health professional first if you have suffered serious trauma or have a mental health condition before trying any of these techniques. And this leads naturally into mistake #5.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Mindset Mistake #5: You don’t mind your mind. Not only is it important to consider all aspects of health in your wellness plan, it is also important, perhaps most important, to consider the role your mind plays in healing and well­being. You can have the best doctors, the best plan, and the best methods, but if your mind is not on board, your chances of creating health and happiness are minimized.

In the old days, witch doctors and shamans went to great lengths to inspire belief to promote healing through rituals. They would chant, dance and drum. Patients would ‘journey’ or take a potion. Today, we have different rituals, but they affect our minds in much the same way. We have doctors in white coats, pills in bottles, and surgeries. We have energy healers, supplements, and ceremonies. Depending on your individual and cultural beliefs, one or more of these images will inspire your mind to initiate the healing process. It is important to understand that believing does not mean conscious will­powered belief. It is the programmed belief that is powered by your unconscious mind. Many of these beliefs were installed before you were five years old. Have you ever had an ache or pain that wouldn’t go away? You wait it out for weeks to no avail. Finally, you ‘break down’ and make an appointment. On your way to the doctor’s office the pain disappears. You explain apologetically, “the pain was right here, for weeks!” How would you explain this? Chances are, you have a deep belief (as most of us do) that you need a doctor’s help to get better in certain situations. The act of making the appointment, or getting in the car and heading to her office set the healing in motion. On average, one­third of all research subjects get better when given a sham surgery or drug. The placebo effect is due to the power of your mind. Quite simply, as you believe in your subconscious mind, so it is. The reverse is also true. If you believe something will hurt you or is bad for you, it will be. That’s why subjects receiving sham chemotherapy drugs experience even severe symptoms. Someone with authority (and probably in a white coat or uniform) told them to expect those side effects. Ignore the power of your subconscious mind at your own peril. It will cause you to stay stuck in subconscious beliefs, habits and behaviors that do not serve your dreams. And it will be more difficult to sustain positive momentum long enough for changes to become ingrained habits.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

Tip the Scales: As much as possible, become conscious of what is in your mind and nurture those beliefs and thoughts that are aligned with your true values and desires.

Hopefully by now you are churning with possibilities for putting your mind into action to positively affect your health and your life. But how? Again, this is a process. You have to ‘overwrite’ the old programming and install new beliefs. You cannot trick or overpower the subconscious parts of your brain into changing. That simply does not work. It may create resistance to change, which can be interpreted as a threat to your survival, even if the change is good for you. Hypnosis and visualization are popular methods for facilitating unconscious change. There are many more. EFT and other energy flow techniques have become very popular. With the help of these tools, change can sometimes happen with amazing speed and ease. Often, you may have to ‘power through’ with a bit of conscious will­power and self discipline as you create new habits and patterns. After a few months of consistent action your subconscious runs the new programming and you have healthier habits that are easy to maintain. Developing self­awareness, designing supportive internal and external environments, and having support are also important for sustainable change. Some beliefs can change instantly with new information. For example, you may have believed that your genes controlled your health until you learned that lifestyle is the key player. Your read a fact, you changed your mind, and accepted the new information which can now influence your future choices. Other beliefs are a little trickier. You may not even realize you have them! It is sometimes difficult to shine a light on our own patterns. This is where a trained ear, and someone who is willing to shine the light with you, can really make a difference. With feeling states influenced by subconscious programs, it is not always so easy. One mistake people make is trying to make too big a jump at once. That can feel paralyzing or fearful. When this happens your brain will use thoughts and body sensations to get you to go back to your old ways. Here is a tip: Instead of trying to create a big shift all at once, make a series of small shifts. Over time they will add up to a big shift that sticks. The payoffs of minding your mind are huge. Never underestimate the power of your mind. When you master you mind as much as possible, change and growth become much easier. It is key to creating the health and life you want. Check out these 10 Limiting Beliefs about Health and Healing.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

So where do you go from here? In this report, I have outlined five important mindset mistakes that affect your health, and ways to shift your thinking about them. Of course there are more aspects of creating health and happiness, but these five factors provide the foundation for creating sustainable holistic wellness. If you would like some guidance in applying these wellness keys to your health, a good place to start is by participatng in your members area. Ask and comment on questions, download the free e­books, and watch the videos. Review the Holistic Happenings newsletters when you receive them, and apply some of those concepts and tips to your life. Share what you learn and experience with your family and friends. Explore the articles on­site. ‘Like’ Holistic MindBody Healing on Facebook and participate there too. The more you interact with the material, and others on the path to wellness, the more you benefit. For a more structured, detailed approach, sign up for your free seven week natural health course. Put what you learn and what resonates with you into practice. Do you prefer personal assistance? If so, I invite you to connect with me for a complimentary 30­45 minute Holistic Life Wellness Strategy Consultation. During this session you will gain clarity as we explore your current situation and what you want instead. We will discuss the challenges and obstacles that are keeping you stuck and determine if coaching or other programs are a fit for you. Let me say this right up front – this is a pressure­free consultation. Rest assured that my primary intention is to serve your highest good and mine. I only want to be in coaching relationships with people who want to connect with their heart desires and believe that collaborating with me as they ‘go for it’ is in their best and highest interest. If you aren’t ready to move forward, or we are not a match, or there are other resources that would serve you better at this time, it’s all good. The best way to discern this is to have a conversation. And to do that you have to quiet the fearful, critical, suspicious voice in your head long enough to go for it. Apply here for your complimentary consult.

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com

About Val Silver: Val is the author of the Holistic MindBody Healing and TapInfinity websites and her award­winning book, Rescue Me: Tales of Rescuing the Dogs Who Became Our Teachers, Healers, and Always Faithful Friends. As a holistic health educator and coach, Val is dedicated to inspiring mid­lifers to make their health and happiness a priority through timely and meaningful change that positively impacts their lives, and through them, the lives of others. For more information: Contact Val here.

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All the best in health and happiness, Val Silver

Copyright 2015 by Val Silver http://www.holistic­mindbody­healing.com