Are Fearful Thoughts Making You Sick? Boost Your Immune System With These Tips!
This blog post is a transcript of Episode 10 from the Day One of Sobriety Podcast
Not all health risks are linked to your DNA or inherited from your parents. In fact, a good number of health factors can be attributed to the quality of our thought life. It’s true that “you are what you eat” – but the phrase “You are what you think” is taking center stage in today’s podcast.
Did you know that negative thinking can trigger physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, muscle pain, and increase cardiovascular risk; and can fuel emotional symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Addressing these thought patterns is crucial for maintaining both physical and mental health.
You control your mind, it doesn’t control you! This means, you're also in the driver’s seat to direct a life of sickness or health. Grab a notebook and a pen, and let’s dive in!
Fear Launches a Sneak Attack
I love to wear T-shirts that highlight or brag on God. I consider them conversation starters. I’m a Marvel & DC fan, and my favorite T-shirt shows Jesus sitting among popular super heroes like Batman, Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, and shows Superman & Flash looking at a Bible. There's a speech bubble above Jesus that says, “And that's how I saved the world.” The shirt often gets a second or third glance as people try to process the scene. It’s awesome!
Even though it's my favorite T-shirt, the shirt that gets the most attention and the most comments has only four short words. Fear is a liar. I especially love it when someone asks me, “What does your shirt mean?”
I always start the conversation by clarifying that not all fear is a lie or should be rejected. A healthy dose of fear keeps us safe, like steering clear of rattlesnakes and dark alleys, or looking both ways before we step into a busy street. But fear is a liar when it attacks our self-esteem, shackles us in a comparison, or stops us from pursuing our hopes & dreams.
This happened to me just two weeks ago on the morning I was to speak at the EPIC Women’s Conference in Rochester, NY. I was presenting on mind renewal and excited to bring Romans 12:2 to life with practical, scientific, and biblical strategies that transform the mind.
I curiously began looking over the bios of the other conference speakers and immediately found myself in a comparison trap with fear eating away at my confidence. Fear whispered to my mind, “You’re not an ordained minister; you didn’t go to Bible college; you haven’t published a book yet.”
My mouth went dry, my heart began to race, and I found it difficult to swallow. A rush of cortisol into my system caused my stomach to ache and my temples to throb. Mind renewal has trained me to recognize fear in my body. And I thank God for teaching me to KNOW that that kind of fear is NEVER from Him.
I know that God has called and equipped me to be a catalyst to help others break free from limitations and discover their worth in Christ. I knew He opened the door for this speaking opportunity at the EPIC conference, so I sought Him in prayer to help me cast out the fear I’d let in.
After a time of prayer and worship, my sweet and loving Father reminded me with these words that rose up from my spirit, “Child, I didn’t call you to be another preacher with a pulpit. I’ve called you to be a teacher with a toolbox.” And just like that, all fear was broken off and replaced with a renewed confidence and strength. Cortisol stopped flowing and was replaced with oxytocin and serotonin as I basked in the love of God, proving the scripture of John 4:18 that says, “perfect love casts out fear.”
The Science of Fear
Today we’re going to address three questions: 1) What’s the source of our fearful or negative thoughts; 2) How are these thoughts capable of making us sick; and 3) How does rewiring our brains improve our immune system?
What’s the Source of our Fearful or Negative Thoughts?
The source of fearful and negative thinking arises from a mix of the hardwiring we’ve built into our brains since birth, which can include learned patterns from adversity and painful experiences, and biases or mindsets wired from the people and environments that had influence over us.
Do you relate to any of this thinking:
Fearful or negative thoughts include self-critical statements like "I'm a failure," or “‘’l’m not good enough.”
Fears about the future such as "something bad is going to happen," or “things never go my way.”
Black-and-white thinking like "if I'm not perfect, I'm a complete failure."
Overgeneralization like "I failed this once, so I'll fail at it again."
Jumping to negative conclusions without any evidence
Fearful and negative thoughts are not the same, but they are closely entwined. Negative thinking is typically linked with frustration, rejection, and self-criticism. Like in the examples, “I’m a failure,” and “I’m not good enough.”
Fear arises when you perceive danger, uncertainty, or risk. When I began looking over the credentials of the other conference presenters, fear rose up because of uncertainty and risk, and it triggered thoughts like, “I don’t think I’m as qualified as the other speakers. I’m not sure I bring as much value as they do. What if the conference participants judge my qualifications?”
Fearful and negative thoughts dominated my mind for most of my life. I relied on prescription medication to control anxiety and depression. I was plagued with sickness, high blood pressure, and thyroid disease. That was all before I renewed my mind in Christ.
How Are Thoughts Capable of Making Us Sick?
If you’ve been following this podcast, you’ve already learned that thoughts will produce emotions, behaviors, bodily sensations, and perspectives. I call these your four alerts, as they alert or inform you as to the quality of your thoughts.
A fearful or negative thought will produce an emotion, which will trigger a chemical response from the brain that will be FELT as a physical symptom or body sensation.
Every thought releases some type of chemical. When positive thoughts are generated, when you’re feeling happy, or optimistic, cortisol levels decrease and the brain produces serotonin, creating a feeling of well-being. When serotonin levels are normal, you will feel happy, calmer, less anxious, more focused and healthier both physically and emotionally.
Let’s walk through an example with a negative thought almost everyone can relate to: “I’m going to fail at this.” The source of “I’m going to fail at this” can come from many different hardwired mindsets, including an all-or-nothing mindset, a jumping to conclusions mindset, or a perfectionist mindset.
Now let’s set the stage for this example. Imagine you’re at a gathering. It could be anything, such as a staff meeting, eating lunch in the breakroom with coworkers, or even a family BBQ. You are singled out to do something that makes you the center of attention. That’s when the thought, “I’m going to fail at this” pops into your head.
When this thought comes into the conscious mind, it prompts emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, or shame
These emotions trigger a chemical response in the brain. Cortisol and adrenaline rise, causing serotonin and dopamine levels to drop
As this chemical change occurs, the body reacts with physical symptoms such as: rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, headache, upset stomach, or higher blood pressure
This is all happening at lightning speed, and your nonconscious mind is running the show.
Let’s get more specific. Imagine you are at a staff meeting and your boss calls on you to give a quick update on the project you and a few coworkers are assigned to. You still experience everything I just described, but right after you give your answer, it’s done and over. You probably feel a rush of relief!
But now imagine that instead of giving an “on the spot” response, the boss asks you to prepare a short presentation for next week’s staff meeting.
The thought of “I’m going to fail at this,” begins to ruminate and play over and over for several consecutive days. The frequency will depend on how worrisome of a person you are.
The ongoing and persistent release of cortisol and adrenaline each time the negative thought is triggered now prompts deeper physical symptoms such as fatigue, inflammation, or sleep disturbance, on top of the headache, stomach ache, higher blood pressure, etc.
Stress hormones shift or alter mood regulation and body function, causing discomfort and harm healthy cells
And now that the presentation is “in the future” instead of “in the moment,” you're likely to have a negative behavior response such as avoidance, withdrawal, reduced work motivation and productivity, or you might even call in sick the day of the staff meeting.
The take-away with this example is to notice how the negative thought forms a loop, and the negative emotions associated with it will trigger an extended release of negative chemicals that cause physical discomfort and suppress immune function.
When your immune system is negatively impacted on a regular basis, its effectiveness to fight sickness is diminished. The more you worry, the more often you get sick.
Rewiring Your Brain Can Improve Your Immune System
What can you do to boost your immune system? Taking control of fearful and negative thinking begins with rewiring your thoughts.
The scientific community now promotes a greater awareness of the mind and body’s connection; referring specifically to how mental states influence physical health, including your immune function.
This has been the bulk of our discussion so far. Let’s begin to summarize our understanding and add biblical principles to the mix.
Fearful and negative mindsets are not of God and are not part of God’s plans for you and your future. Romans 12:2 is often quoted as the anchor scripture for mind renewal, referring to the spirit-led transformation of a believer’s mind.
I like to extend this renewal to include not only your mind, but also your will and emotions. That’s because as your mind is renewed and aligned with God’s truth, your will or behaviors and emotions begin to reflect the nine fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
When we expand the mind and body integration to include the spirit, I believe we have a complete model for spiritual, mental, and physical health and wholeness. You are a spirit, you live in a body, and you have a soul (mind, will, and emotions). When you received Salvation, God renewed your spirit, and gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead you through a complete transformation.
Renewing your mind replaces false beliefs, fearful mindsets, and negative perspectives with the truth of God’s Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead in changing your thinking from the inside out.
This renewal is not merely acquiring new knowledge but a spiritual renovation that rewires thoughts and reshapes how you see yourself, enabling you to live a life that reflects the mind of Christ and God’s will for you.
When you view yourself as God sees you, you don’t think thoughts like, “I’m going to fail at this,” or “I’m not good enough.” When you free yourself from fear, doubt, and worry, your thoughts carry life and hope; improving your immune system by reducing stress and lowering cortisol levels. You regularly experience positive emotions such as joy and hope, which release endorphins that enhance immune cells, boosting natural killer cells and T-cells that fight against infections and illnesses.
Wrap Up
I hope this episode encouraged you to take a closer inventory of your thought life and of your health. If the information reveals places where you’re out of alignment, there’s hope, encouragement, and practical tools found in every episode of the Day One of Sobriety podcast.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” This could also be said this way: “I came that they may have health, and have it abundantly!” Step out in faith and begin to build abundant health through mind renewal.
Let me pray for you:
Father God, I thank you that you are an overflowing, never ending, source of love. Thank you that we can partner with you to cast out the fear that tries to overtake us, to lie to us, and to steal our joy and peace. And thank you, Jesus, that your sacrifice on the cross wiped clean any sin, lie, or shame that once shackled us, giving us the freedom to walk in love and healing. Lord, I pray that every listener will step out in faith and step into the mind renewal process that will bring them into health and wholeness. I seal this prayer in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
I invite you to head over now to our Mind Renewal Solution Made Simple Facebook group where you’ll find resources and tips this week geared at helping you apply the information in today’s episode. Don’t stay stuck! Remember, you can wire out whatever you’ve wired in.
DISCLAIMER: The Day One of Sobriety podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please consult your physician or doctor for all medical advice and counsel.
