Setting mind body health goals
If you’ve ever set goals to improve your health, you might be familiar with the draining and demotivating experience of feeling like nothing is changing, no matter how hard you try. It can be incredibly frustrating to put in the effort and not see the results you’re hoping for.
For example, after a year of rigorously improving my dental hygiene habits, I was shocked when my hygienist asked if I’d experienced any major trauma because she couldn't understand why I had significant bone loss. As you can imagine, this was very disconcerting.
Despite my diligent brushing and flossing, avoiding excessive use of mouthwash, and maintaining a low-sugar diet, I was left feeling both fearful and demotivated. I couldn't help but wonder if something more serious was going on. Was there a chance I might lose my teeth despite all my efforts?
This experience left me grappling with two emotions: fear and frustration. On one hand, fear made me worry about a more severe underlying condition, while on the other, the sense of unfairness left me questioning whether my efforts were even worth it.
Dealing with fear in health challenges
Fear is a powerful saboteur and a leading cause of burnout. It often drives us to frantically search for answers and solutions, throwing everything at the problem in a desperate attempt to find a quick fix. However, fear can also undermine our ability to stay practical and measured. It triggers activity in the hypothalamus and amygdala — regions of the brain associated with threat detection — which can activate various autonomic pathways and potentially worsen the issues we’re trying to resolve.
In my case, stress made me grind my teeth more, which aggravated my gum health and increased inflammation. It's a vicious cycle that hinders progress rather than promotes it.
To choose the right course of action, it's essential to address and calm these fears. By slowing down and calming the mind, you can explore your options more rationally and effectively.
Balancing fear and disengagement
It's a delicate balance between being overly consumed by fear and completely disengaging with an attitude of “What does it matter? Damned if I do, damned if I don’t!” It’s important to remember that progress and change are often difficult and don’t always come with immediate rewards.
Consider these examples:
When trying to conceive, it may take several cycles before achieving success.
When preparing for an exam, you might fail multiple times before passing.
When training a dog to sit calmly, it may take many attempts and setbacks.
These examples show that persistence is key. It's essential to revisit your initial intentions and understand how they align with your core values.
Ask yourself:
What does having a child mean to me?
What opportunities will passing this exam open up for me?
How does having a calm dog fit into the life I envision for myself?
Strategies for making progress
There are three key aspects to consider when working towards your health goals:
Your Plan
Your Measure of Progress
Patience
1. Your Plan
Your plan might need some refining. Are there aspects of your situation that you haven’t considered in your current approach? For instance, in my case, I focused solely on oral hygiene practices without considering how my teeth were shifting, causing gaps that exposed my gums to more risk. I also overlooked the importance of my oral microbiome and ignored my nighttime teeth grinding.
Recognizing these areas allowed me to develop a more comprehensive plan that addressed biological factors (like dietary changes and orthodontic work), psychological factors (such as managing jaw tension due to stress), and social support (seeking advice from my hygienist, orthodontist, and even my uncle with expertise in the area).
Using a biopsychosocial approach — which considers biological, psychological, and social factors — can be a great starting point for creating a more effective plan. I've included a webinar recording that guides you through this process in more detail.
2. Your Measure of Progress
If you only measure success by the ultimate outcome, you may miss many smaller signs of progress along the way. For instance, if my only measure of success was my hygienist telling me my gums were in perfect condition, I’d likely feel discouraged at each appointment. Instead, I look for smaller markers of progress: less bleeding when brushing, less bleeding when flossing, and reduced bleeding with interdental brushes. These smaller signs indicate that I'm on the right track.
Tracking these smaller steps is crucial for maintaining motivation. Studies show that having hope can make us 30% more likely to meet our goals [1]. Beyond motivation, maintaining hope positively impacts our physiology, affecting how our cells behave and enhancing cell-mediated immunity [2]. Your mindset, outlook, and belief in your ability to succeed significantly influence your body’s response, and these are factors you can control, even when the journey is challenging.
To help you track your progress, I’ve included a free booklet to help you set “process goals.”
3. Patience
With your plan and measures of progress in place, the next step is to practice patience. During periods of uncertainty, it’s easy for the brain to slip into threat detection mode, leading to anxiety and stress. Counteract this by cultivating a mindset of curious patience — being open to the outcome without rushing to conclusions. Think of it as an experiment: "I don’t know how this will turn out, but I’m interested in finding out, and I can reassess as needed."
While cultivating patience isn’t easy, it’s a skill that can be developed over time with practice. The strategies themselves are simple, but their implementation requires effort and persistence. However, the rewards are well worth it!
Final Thoughts
Remember, the answers may be simple, but the practices are challenging. Yet, they are also incredibly rewarding. With the right plan, progress markers, and a mindset of patience, you can make meaningful strides in your health journey.
If you want to make a plan tailored to your health goals now (especially if you're dealing with pain, gut issues, bladder issues, fatigue, headaches or managing chronic illness generally), you might like to:
Sign up to Body Mind Connect membership for less than 99p per day and no tie ins.
Download the free health goals booklet below
References
[1] Locke, E. A., Shaw, K. N., Saari, L. M., & Latham, G. P. (1981). Goal setting and task performance: 1969–1980. Psychological Bulletin, 90(1), 125.
[2] Segerstrom, S. C., & Sephton, S. E. (2010). Optimistic expectancies and cell-mediated immunity: The role of positive affect. Psychological Science, 21(3), 448-455.
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