What to Do with Fear about Health

I’ve been noticing a trend recently about fear and health and so I thought it might be helpful to address that.

It seems to me that, although many health professionals likely have the best of intentions, they plant seeds of fear that cause all sorts of subsequent issues.

Here are some recent examples from my own experience.

1. I don’t know if this is happening where you live, but at many bus stops in Calgary, there’s an ad that has a lemon that looks like it’s dripping with blood. It says something about your pee and that having blood in it is cause for concern. Ew. I avert my eyes every time I go past one of those, which is why I don’t know what it says. 
2. At my last dental visit, during the exam, the dentist told me that the pockets in my gums are “fine right now”, but if they get any larger then the next step would be to see a gum specialist and that might result in a surgery where they lift and stretch and pin the gums. I said I definitely was not interested in having that done. 
3. During my son’s recent trip to the dentist, the hygienist told him even though he has excellent dental health and that he’s doing all the right things to take care of his mouth, he should be aware that he’s in a high risk category for heart disease because he’s male. HE’S 12.

Here’s the issue with these three examples: What you focus on expands.

That means if you put your attention onto worrying about the messages from these health care professionals, not only will you get more things in your life to worry about, the seed has been planted for these outcomes to become reality.

Whatever you believe at a subconscious level becomes your reality. Your subconscious is very literal. If it keeps getting the message over and over that you should be worried and fearful about your health, then it will create the reasons why that is true, so that your outer experience matches your inner experience.

That’s why I’m very conscious about where I put my attention when it comes to health. I focus on the experiences I want to have and the associated energy it will take to have those outcomes. 

I choose to spend no time whatsoever feeling worried or anxious about what might happen. Instead, I incorporate practices into my daily rituals that lead to an abundance of energy, vitality and peace of mind.

Taking it one step further, it’s important to consider the reasons why you’re doing health-related practices. I used to eat well to avoid cancer. If you re-read that last sentence, what’s the word that stands out to you? Probably cancer. That’s really where your focus goes, and what you focus on expands, so although I was eating well, there was still the embedded fear of getting cancer.

I used to do a lot of physical activity so I wouldn’t get fat. Again the embedded focus was on getting fat, rather than what I actually wanted.

Even something as simple as why you’re brushing your teeth is worth considering. The message out there is that you brush your teeth so you don’t get cavities. According to my son’s hygienist, he was told to floss so that he wouldn’t get heart disease. After the visit, I asked Oakley what he thought about the hygienist’s comments. 

He said, “I didn’t think I needed to hear that.” I thought the same thing. Spending a lifetime of flossing to not get heart disease does not have the same tone as flossing to keep your mouth clean and your breath fresh. Do you see what I mean?

What you focus on expands, and so the invitation here is to get clear on what you want for your health and to focus on that. 

You might consider working with a statement like “I am strong, healthy and energized.” And that might become your reason for your daily practices. You don’t need to be against anything. It’s much more powerful to focus on what you want more of and to put your attention on that.

Loosely Related Epilogue

Interestingly, the hygienist asked Oakley what he wanted to do when he grows up. He shared that he wants to be a singer and guitarist. She said that was great and then recommended that he go to university and get a degree as a backup in case his dream doesn’t work out. 

The Nerve! I asked Oakley what he thought about that comment as well, and he said that because she wasn’t living her own dreams (she shared that she really wanted to be a doctor but felt it was too late for that and so she was settling to be a hygienist), he wasn’t going to take her advice.

Thank goodness, he has a firm grounding in focusing on what he wants. My husband and I tell our kids over and over that they can do anything they want, and that because they’ve been giving such amazing gifts, it’s their responsibility to share them. No backup required because the backup focuses on fear, rather than the dream. 

The take-home message here is to:

1-Focus on what you want 

2-Get clear on what consistent behaviours support what you want

3-Put those behaviours into action consistently by scheduling them and then doing them

Example: If you want to feel strong, healthy and energized, make that your focus and then do things that bring your health, energy and strength into your outer reality.

Oh, and by the way, we’re changing dentists. We don’t need misguided career advice and seeds of fear planted along with our cleanings.

With focused love and expansive courage,

Christina

Creator of Courageous Self-Care

Last Minute Blog-Writer

Brownie Connoisseur (Favourite recommendation in Calgary: Sidewalk Citizen brownies. Life. Changing.)

PS - One thing you can do to shift your focus is to read the book by Dr Sue Morter called The Energy Codes. Amazing.For a supported experience, I'm doing a book study later in March. Click here for details. The earlybird discount is good until March 17th.