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Show Mental tips on how to be successful By RICHARD C. JOHNSON, Ph.D. Director of Mental Health Services Lakeview Hospital Much has been written over the years about the mind's influence on physical health. Some of our most common causes of illness and death are directly related to our mental state. We call these stress-related stress-related illnesses and examples are heart attack, hypertension, ulcers, and some say, even the common cold. A PERSON who is troubled, stressed, depressed, worried or unhappy un-happy is not going to enjoy as good physical health as someone who is happy and relaxed. Studies have shown that a negative, stressed mental state directly affects our body's immune system and can leave us open to all kinds of disease. dis-ease. On the bright side of all of this, the mind is capable of affecting the body's health in a very positive way. Studies have indicated that a patient's positive mental outlook can increase the likelihood of surgery being successful and safe. Laughter, research has found, seems to increase the immune system's sys-tem's efficiency. PERHAPS even more amazing are the studies that indicate that through the use of a technique called cal-led positive guided imagery (imagining (im-agining that your body is healing itself), we can sometimes significantly signifi-cantly increase the body's ability to heal itself from serious illness, even cancer. We don't have all the answers yet. We don't routinely treat cancer can-cer or any other physical illness with laughter and positive thoughts. We do, however, know . enough about the subject to say that if your life is highly stressful and unhappy, you are seriously affecting your health. WHAT CAN I do, you say? Life in America today is very stressful and demanding. There are thousands of people out there willing will-ing to apply pressure and demands, to tell us what to do, how to dress, how to think, and how to feel; employers, em-ployers, bankers, advertisers, neighbors and many more. The secret is to think of yourself. Find out what your needs are. Set personal goals. Judge yourself, and work toward personal improvement. improve-ment. Treat others with compassion compas-sion and try to understand their actions ac-tions instead of simply reacting to them. If you need help putting that all together, don't worry. You're not alone. There are books and professionals to help you find peace, self-understanding and happiness. hap-piness. And as you work on that, remember that the process of getting get-ting there is even more important than arriving. |