Mind Over Matter: How Our Beliefs Strongly Influence Our Health
Everything has a hand in shaping our journey to optimal health, from the world around us to the essence of who we are as individuals. This ongoing series will uncover the forces that help or hinder our quest to achieve our desired behaviors. Welcome to 360 Degrees of Change.
It’s not uncommon for those of us in the health and wellness industry to frequently wonder, "Why do so many people struggle to change their health behaviors despite their best interests and intentions?" Often, we hold onto beliefs and values that no longer serve us or conflict with our goals. Additionally, societal and cultural influences can make it difficult to break free from established norms and beliefs, even when they don’t support our well-being. So, how do we access the freedom we so desire? The answer lies in the complex nature of beliefs and values.
Over the years, research has shown that individuals’ beliefs define the identities that they wish to embody and the people that they want to be. And while few would argue that beliefs, ours and others, do not influence behavior, upon closer look, we may find that the nature of beliefs is more complex than it first appears.
The first set of articles for this series will focus on unraveling the intricacies of beliefs and values and how they shape health behaviors. We'll explore how beliefs and values are formed, evolve over time, and influence our actions.
By the end, you will better understand the interplay between beliefs, values, and behavior. You will also acquire tools to help challenge and change limiting beliefs that may be holding you or your clients back from reaching your health goals.
So let’s jump in and start with some fundamentals.
A simple definition
Beliefs are assumptions and convictions we hold to be true.
These truths may be simple, complex, opinion, or factual.
The origins of beliefs
Beliefs are inherited.
Our first beliefs typically come from the adults who raise us.
And they are acquired throughout our lives.
They are formed by experiences, culture or society, or information from others.
The evolution of beliefs
Exposure and experience frequently alter beliefs.
Think about how exercise science of the times has popularized different workout trends. Over the past 50 years, we’ve moved from high-impact aerobics in the 80s and the 90s Tae Bo craze to Zumba and first-time marathoners in the 2000s, Crossfit in the 2010s to the current decade’s High-Intensity Interval Training. These constantly shifting trends demonstrate how beliefs about what constitutes effective exercise can change over time and be influenced by various factors such as the latest research, celebrity endorsements, and overall cultural shifts.
The beliefs behind our actions
Our beliefs inspire us to do or not do new things.
I believe smoking leads to lung cancer and will likely kill me, so I quit smoking.
I believe I need cigarettes to cope with my daily stress, so I’ll never quit smoking.
They consciously and unconsciously influence our behaviors! That means that while we are often aware of our belief/s and the action it inspires, we actually don’t even have to be aware of a belief for it to result in a particular behavior.
Conscious belief & behavior
I believe in caring for the environment, so I try to buy clothes made with organic materials.
Unconscious belief & behavior
I don’t know why, but I always avoid left-hand turns when I drive through town.
Fine-tuning our beliefs
Beliefs can quickly become clearer or less clear in the company of others.
The people closest to us inspire our beliefs and, therefore, our behavior. So if we hang out with a bunch of gym rats who value exercise and healthy eating, we may start to prioritize fitness and become more conscious of our own eating habits.
Maximizing the Malleability of Beliefs
Because we can identify, evaluate, and alter beliefs, we are able to fine-tune them to our goals. This is great news! It means we are not beholden to beliefs that hold us back, and we can consciously create beliefs that catapult us toward our goals.
So let’s say we have the belief that we are not very adept at public speaking. We can begin reshaping that belief by acknowledging it’s a belief we have and evaluating whatever supports or refutes it. We may find that while some of our past speaking engagements have not gone well, others have. By focusing on the positive experiences and actively seeking opportunities to improve, we can alter our belief from "I'm not good at public speaking" to "I can become a confident and effective speaker with practice." This shift in belief can motivate us to look for opportunities to practice public speaking, which will help us sharpen our skills and reach our goal of becoming a confident speaker.
So these beliefs we have are moldable. They can continuously bend and flex, and we inevitably shape them into what they are and continue to become.
Conduct a personal belief audit
When it comes to building better strategies for empowering others, there is no better foundation than compassion and empathy. A great way to gain an understanding of how the people you work with may be energized or stymied by their beliefs is to start by inviting your own to the spotlight.
The good news is, this can be really simple! Over the coming week, pay attention to when and how your beliefs are challenged and or changed. Maybe you’ll find yourself noticing how often you think, “Yeah, I just don’t believe that!” as you scroll through social media posts. Or, you might find yourself reevaluating your views on the housing market as a banker friend explains the relationship between wage stagnation, interest rates, available housing, and housing prices. Who knows, you might even find yourself questioning your long-held internal list of “I am’s…” or wrestling with conflicting beliefs like “I believe eating a variety of veggies is good for my health, but I have never liked them.” One thing is certain, you will experience firsthand just how seamlessly beliefs influence behavior, and that is a great first step in harnessing their power for good.
Up next…
We’ll dig into the interesting connections between beliefs and values.