Our Mindset Matters

I recently had a conversation with a fellow nurse about the power that the placebo effect can have on a patient’s outcome. The placebo effect is a topic we usually discuss in conventional Western medicine, particularly in the context of clinical trials. It’s what new research is tested against.

When a trial is happening, there are usually two different groups:

1. The control/placebo group

2. The new drug/medicine group

The placebo group receives no actual medicine—yet in many clinical trials, a percentage of people in this group do get better. Meaning: they heal without any intervention of medication or drugs.

How does this happen? It’s because of the power of the mind.

Our mind is a powerful tool. What we think and say about ourselves will directly affect how our body shows up. Thoughts become beliefs, and those beliefs can either support healing or hinder us.

When someone believes they are getting better, their body can sometimes respond and get better physically. That’s the mind-body connection in action.

Try it quickly, listen to these two clips, and notice if you feel a difference in your body.

I always feel small, wanting to sit around and close myself off to the rest of the world when I listen to negative self-talk.
The way we talk—to ourselves and to others—matters.

Obviously we need to support our minds with proper care, depending on the situation. That might involve nutrition, movement, surgery, or medication. But this is your reminder that how we speak to ourselves will directly impact our health and wellness.

As a nurse, I always pay attention to how I speak to patients. Studies have shown that when you provide honest but optimistic and encouraging language, patients tend to recover faster.

An example of this might be:
“Some patients experience x, y, z negative outcomes—but many experience this benefit, this return to function, this improved feeling.” That kind of wording helps put the patient's mind at ease and allows self-healing to begin from the inside.

Our mind matters to our health, and we can use it as a tool for healing if we begin to tune into the words we choose each day.

So this week, I’d encourage you to listen to your inner voice and the words you speak out loud. Are they riddled with “should, can’t, not, no, struggle, bad, tired, disease, illness”? Or do you speak with words like “can, love, excited, motivated, ease, health, happiness”?

The words we choose shape our reality. You might find that healing doesn’t always start with medicine. Sometimes, it begins with a thought.

The reason I love NLP, Reiki, and health coaching is that they work together as tools to help realign your mind and body, bringing you back into balance and supporting that healing journey from the inside out.

If this topic sparks something in you and you’d like to explore it more, let’s chat. If you want to email me back directly or chat with me live, it doesn’t matter; I’d love to hear from you!

 Services I offer:

• Reiki, 30 & 60 minutes

• Health Coaching Sessions using my NLP and Nursing background

• Essential oil rollers