The Power of the Mind
The mind is a complex, intelligent entity within us. It is the set of thinking faculties including both cognitive aspects such as consciousness, imagination, perception, thinking, judgement, language and memory, and non-cognitive aspects such as emotion.
The past four months have been tough on the world that we used to know. With all the different events occurring, it has put us all on an extreme emotional roller coaster ride. After discussing these events with many individuals, it’s amazing to see how each person’s interpretation and outlook on life differs. This all begins with the Power of the Mind.
Your mind is part of the invisible, transcendent world of thought, feeling, attitude, belief and imagination that is not confined within the brain. The mind is meant to absorb information, transform it into knowledge and lead it into action. Action and speech determine the quality of our life and these come from the mind itself. Your mind is what dictates how your day is going to go, how you are going to choose to feel, and how you respond and react to things. Be aware of your thoughts early in the morning. Each day when you wake up, what are you thinking about? Do you feel happy or sad, ambitious or scared, in love or depressed? For example, if you wake up anxious about current events, will you then turn on the news to potentially get information that will make you more anxious, or will you spend time focusing on things to be grateful for, or spend time in meditation? It is a conscious choice and action that we have to make daily to determine how we will spend our day. You, and only you, can decide and dictate how your day is going to go.
According to the American Psychological Association, many psychologists in the field of “psychoneuroimmunology” found that the state of mind can affect the state of health. They found that stress, depression, social isolation and feelings of loneliness tend to contribute to a weakened immune system, making individuals more susceptible to health ailments. In other words, if you are letting the events occurring today have a negative impact on your mind, most likely it will have a negative impact on your health.
During these uncertain times, it’s OK to be scared, or nervous, or feeling down, but it should not consume your time and energy each day. Be smart about the way you go about doing things for yourself and others. Protect yourself when going out in public, and practice better hygiene. If you are feeling stressed, anxious and/or depressed, incorporate some movement in your day with exercise or yoga. Quiet the mind by praying or meditating, practicing mantras and/or incantations, or reading a book. These techniques can help calm your mind and clear out negative thoughts that may be bringing you down.
Remember the mind is one of the most complex and powerful tools we have. Focus on the positives! Stop worrying about what could go wrong and get excited about what can go right! Use this time as an experience to learn and grow as individuals, as well as a society. When we all look back at 2020, our minds will recall the best things that happened during this experience.