What’s even more disturbing about this mental tyranny is that the vast majority of our repetitive thoughts is pure nonsense. We constantly drift into fiction and negativity, dwelling in the past or the future, obsessing about mistakes we might have made, battling guilt, planning ahead or worrying.

Mental stressors form out of our repetitive negative thoughts. The quality of our existence rests on the quality of our internal and external communication. Recent studies show that severe prolonged stress and chronic negative thinking can compromise the immune system. Left unheeded, these stressors may lead to depression, anxiety, panic or nervousness (especially in social settings), difficulty concentrating, irrational anger, restlessness, emotional problems/conditions, and physiological conditions (such as fatigue, weight gain, cardiovascular conditions, digestive disorders, etc.)

“If your self-talk is positive and accurate, you function well. If it’s negative, irrational or untrue, you experience stress, illness and emotional disturbance.”

~Albert Ellis, PhD

By the same token, studies also reveal that having a positive life orientation (being satisfied with life, having zest for life, having plans for the future, feeling needed, seldom feeling lonely or depressed) predicts good survival prognosis independently of subjective health. Our thoughts, attitudes, perceptions and beliefs have a direct impact on our physical and mental health. An upbeat attitude can in itself mobilize and stimulate our body’s self-repair mechanisms.