Your Health Mindset is your expectations + beliefs about what creates & influences your health. There are 3 main types:
INTERNAL: Consider a lifetime of eating well vs. fast food. Do you believe this will this impact your health? What about reducing stress, sleeping, and exercising? Or if you’re unwell, do you believe taking remedies will help you get better faster? These people believe yes, these habits matter, and that their behaviours & choices will have the biggest impact on their health. There’s a plethora of research backing up these conclusions, but every type has a downside too – they’re less likely to reach out for help of others who can provide their experience/expertise (they’re usually really glad once they do though!), and are prone to blaming themselves for aspects of their health that they don’t control.
EXTERNAL: Dependent on others, they believe their health is due to other people & treatments they’ve received, anyone from medical doctors to reiki healers. They’re great at surrounding themselves with support and at following instructions from health professionals, which are good things. They go to the doctor frequently, especially when they’re sick because they feel someone else will help them get better faster. The downside is when too much trust is placed in people who aren’t helpful (think seeking second opinions or being taken advantage of) and failing to do things they could be doing for themselves.
NONE: They believe there’s nothing that themselves or anyone else can do to impact their health, for better or for worse, and that health is completely up to chance. It’s the riskiest mindset, because if you don’t see any benefit in changing your diet or lifestyle, taking medical advice, or learning more about your health condition, research shows you probably wont be very healthy. This person also ignores problems until they’re so big that the only treatments are extreme. This perspective has no upside.
Both types A&B do well under my care. Working on your health can make you feel empowered, give you new friendships, help you develop new skills, and teach you the true depth and value of who you are.
Which one is yours? Leave me a comment below
Dr. Tanya McEachern 