What thought viruses have gotten hold of your brain and moved in like unwanted houseguests?
Thought viruses are unconscious thought patterns that distort our thinking and perception of the world (Donald Lofland).
“They can have a crippling effect on our professional and personal lives, leading to internal conflict, depression, failed relationships, and even serious health problems”.
We open ourselves to such infections when we go on social media, chat to other parents or colleagues at work or simply fail to remain aware of what’s going on in our minds. What do we do to boost our “immune system” to fight such viruses? Physical viruses are detected quickly and noticed as foreign and in need of destruction by cytotoxic T cells, natural killer cells and activated macrophages. There don’t seem to be any brain cells dedicated to this role of detecting infection by a thought virus and we are therefore extremely vulnerable to such “infections”.
Think about a thought virus that has taken hold for you? Did you at some stage just find your self-talk becoming more and more negative? Did you suddenly notice self-doubt creeping in? let’s look at these thought viruses with regards to health issues. I heard a client say this morning: “I just have to look at carbs and I gain weight”, I hear all the time: “I just don’t have time for exercise” and “once you’re over 50 nothing works the same anymore and losing weight becomes so much harder”. “I’m getting middle aged spread”, is another one. I hear people say: “I can't cook” or spell or “my memory is getting worse and worse”. I often say: “I’m a technophobe.” All of these thoughts are thought viruses. How can we possibly thrive with them wreaking havoc with our mental health and with the limitless possibilities that exist for us?
We need to detect these thought viruses super quickly and destroy or transform them with lightning speed and precision. We have to be mindful and be listening for these repetitive and destructive ideas if we are to notice them. This requires mindfulness. Paying attention to what is going on in your busy thinking all the time and also to looking in the mirror life provides for us of what is going on in our minds.
What do you think happens as a result of my belief about being a technophobe?obviously it creates these endless dependences on the people better equipped than me to fix computer issues and creates a block to learning for me. When I get yet another computer glitch which slows me down yet again, I need to evaluate the thought virus that may lie behind it.
I wish you a thought virus free end of April and second quarter of 2018!
Sue and the Body Brilliance Team
The Energy Incubator Quote of the Week:
“Service to humanity is the rent you pay for your room on this earth”. Muhammed Ali
The Energy factory Health Tip of the Week:
Remember that Caffeine in the short term increases your dopamine levels and feels good, but in the long term it reduces your serotonin levels. Serotonin is your happy hormone and it makes you feel positive and up beat! Serotonin is critical to regulate bodily functions including sleep cycles, pain control, carbohydrate cravings and digestion. Low levels of serotonin have also been associated with depressed immune function. It seems that one and maybe two cups of coffee a day are great for keeping your brain chemistry where it should be, but go overboard with it and everything can go haywire.