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Whole Health

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Power of the Mind

man meditating at sunset

Power of the Mind

Overview

Whole Health includes all of you — your mind and your body. Your mind is a powerful force in your life and you can harness that power to heal and cope with life’s challenges.

Why does power of the mind matter?

Your mind affects your body, and your body affects your mind, perhaps more than we realize. This relationship between our mind and body can improve our health or make it worse. Mood and thinking patterns can either positively or negatively impact our health and well-being. In this way, the mind has great power. Research has found mind-body approaches, such as relaxation, breathing, or guided imagery can help support many health conditions.

Here's more

Your mind has a lot of power over your life and health. For example, sometimes when you think about stressful things, your heart rate and blood pressure go up and your muscles tighten (without your even recognizing it). If this stress goes on for a long time or happens repeatedly, you could develop high blood pressure or long-lasting pain, such as back pain.

On other hand, you can use the power of your mind to lower blood pressure or even control pain. Practicing positive thinking can even improve digestive problems.

Take action

There are many ways to harness the power of your mind to improve how you feel. These are called “mind-body approaches.” Some examples include:

  • Meditation and Mindfulness Based Interventions
  • Biofeedback training
  • Breathing exercises
  • Progressive muscle relaxation
  • Clinical hypnosis

Connect with your local VA medical center to see what may be available and appropriate for you as a part of your health and well-being plan.

Explore further

Check out these resources to learn more about the power of your mind how to use it.

  1. Live Whole Health #193: You’re grounded! - VA News
  2. Mind-Body Connection Improves Mood for Veteran - Whole Health (va.gov)
  3. Mindfulness Coach | VA Mobile
  4. Mindfulness and Relaxation Resources for Veterans | Veterans Affairs (va.gov)
  5. Learn about Whole Health activities at your local VA facility.

Videos

Power of the Mind - Julie
The Power of You
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