Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can, or you can’t—you’re right.” While it can be easy to dismiss the phrase, there’s truth to it. The concept of mind-over-matter is one centuries old and one that science is proving more true with every study.
What Is Mind-Over-Matter?
When one thinks of mind-over-matter thoughts of a levitating monk, a disappearing magician, telekinesis, or any number of fantastical ideas can enter our minds. Mind-over-matter though can be broken down into a few simple concepts:
Determination
To discuss determination as a factor in mind-over-matter, I have another quote for you: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” However you may feel about it this cliché, there is truth to the statement. When you remain focused, determined, and don’t allow negative self-talk to influence you, there is a far greater chance of success.
In a battle of wills with our children, it can mean the difference between staying the course or breaking under the pressure. When trying to decide the best course of action, more often than not we’re trying to discourage a certain behaviour or emotional response. Often when we don’t see immediate improvement we convince ourselves our strategy isn’t working and relinquish the fight. Sometimes that can be the killer, as a bit of determination can win the day.
The same idea can be imparted to our children to raise them with a sense of will and determination that will serve them well as adults. Just because something isn’t working at first doesn’t mean it should be abandoned. With the belief that it can be done, they’ll learn to find a way to make it done.
It’s all a matter of perception and believing from the outset that the goal can be achieved no matter what.
Mindfulness
To understand the importance of mindfulness, we need to understand the effects of stress.
It all begins in the brain. When you worry about something, when you’ve determined it to be something that is a cause of concern, the brain response with stress response chemicals through the body. Heart rate increases, as well as breathing and the body prepares for fight or flight. When you continue to worry, the body stays in this mild state of stress, exhausting the body’s systems.
The world today is a fast one, filled with smart devices, social media, and the ability to communicate like never before. What it also brings with it is a constant need to be doing something—or more to the point, many somethings all at once.
This can be especially true for today’s teens, though adults are not exempt. From the moment they wake to those last few checks of social media in bed before going to sleep, they never let their mind or body take a break.
Mindfulness slows all of that down. It’s a sort of “meditation lite” intended to slow you down and force you to consider the present. This removes worry for all of the things we must do in the future, and keeps us from grinding through all of our past mistakes. Through regular practice of mindfulness, we can relieve our body’s constant flood of stress chemicals and tension, allowing our muscles to relax and recover.
If you want to practice some mindfulness on your own, here are a few steps to begin with.
1. Sit and Focus.
Find a place to sit and think of nothing but your breathing. Pick a particular sensation, such as the flow of air or how your chest or stomach moves with each breath. This will be your centre focal point.
2. Focus Outward.
Once you’ve calmed your mind and cleared it to just your breathing, carefully allow yourself to be aware of the world outside yourself. Sounds, smells, and even ideas may come to your attention.
3. Perceive without Attachment.
While you’re taking in outside stimuli, it’s important to allow each to come and go as it will and observe what thoughts and mental habits give you a sense of joy or stress and make note of it. It’s a way to discover yourself and potentially identify toxic thought processes that may be self-defeating.
Meditation
Meditation has been receiving a lot of positive attention in the medical research field lately. In previous studies, the brain has been considered separately from the body, as its own entity. However, recent studies that include the brain and body as a whole are showing physical evidence that the brain can influence the health of the body through the use of the Vagus nerve. This nerve runs from the brain and through each major organ, and is responsible for the body’s inflammation response system which controls redness and swelling.
What does this mean for regular meditation practitioners? Theoretically, the ability to “think yourself better” is a very real possibility. A Lust for Life are running a campaign to help you learn to meditate. Check it out here.
In Today’s Fast World, Slowing Down Might Be the Answer
The concept of mind-over matter is more powerful than people give it credit for. From determination, to better health, to a more solid state of mind, the key to building mental will lies in slowing down and turning your focus to the now. This is a practice we adults must learn, but also an important one to teach many of our youths. With the focus so easily drawn to a future, we all could learn to appreciate today.
For more information on Tyler’s work check out arivacaboysranch.com
Sources: Forbes, Harvard Health Publications, JYI, Psychological Science