The Power of the Mind: How Thoughts Affect Well-Being
Dr. Boris Wydoff
In more than fifty years of practice, I have seen this thousands of times: two people have the same illness and the same treatment, but the calm person who is focused on recovery tolerates treatment more easily and takes better care of themselves. Your outlook does not determine the outcome of an illness. This is not mysticism. The body listens to our thoughts and follows the commands we repeat day after day.
What command are you giving your body?
A person who repeats from morning to evening, “I am sick, I am tired, nothing will work out for me,” gives the body exactly that command — and the body follows it: it gives up where it could have kept fighting. Change the command. Instead of “I am sick” — “I am recovering.” Instead of “I have no strength” — “I have reserves of strength within me, and I will help them come into action.” This is not self-deception or glossy “positive thinking”: it is choosing the direction in which the body will work.
A simple daily practice
- In the morning — one minute to set your mindset. After a glass of warm water, calmly say to yourself: “I am recovering. I will make time for my health and not put it off again.”
- In the evening — three things to be grateful for. Find three things you are grateful for from the day and write them down. A notebook is more convincing than memory: when you reread your notes, you see changes you otherwise might not have noticed.
- Go to bed before 11 p.m. While you sleep, the body repairs what you did for it during the day. Going to bed late steals that time from recovery.
Two traps
The first is expecting an instant miracle and giving up on the fifth day. The body needs time: give it three weeks before judging. The second is arguing with skeptics and telling everyone about your new habits. Quietly do what you need to do — the results will speak for you.
And do not scold yourself for setbacks. If you slip, calmly return to the practice the next morning. Beating yourself up is the same negative command to the body, only repeated in a circle.
What is important to understand
Your mindset does not replace treatment, cleansing, or nutrition — it helps make them possible. The psychology of healing is part of the system, not the whole system.
How a command becomes physiology
A word repeated many times stops being just a word — it becomes an expectation in the body. Fear constricts the capillaries: remember how a frightened person turns pale — this is a spasm of the facial blood vessels, and a similar spasm can pass through the vessels of the stomach and intestines. Calm confidence, on the other hand, relaxes the blood vessels and breathing. “I am recovering” is not a magic spell, but a command for the blood vessels to work rather than constrict.
What a person believes, they talk about
Pay attention to your speech for one day. “This is killing me,” “I have no strength,” “I am always sick” — each such phrase repeats a diagnosis to the body. Replace it with a neutral or affirmative phrase — not “I am not sick” (the word “not” is weaker than the image of illness), but “I am recovering,” “my body is coping.” What a person believes, they talk about — and then begin to act accordingly.
Evening preparation for sleep
The body keeps working on your last thoughts throughout the night. So do not fall asleep to the news or difficult conversations. Instead, think of three things you are grateful for and say one calm phrase: “I tell myself about victory, peace, and success.” The morning after such preparation feels different — try it yourself.
WHEN YOU NEED A DOCTOR
These practices complement treatment but do not replace it. If you are ill, follow your doctor’s recommendations; if low mood or anxiety does not go away, seek help from a specialist.
Frequently asked questions
Can a positive mindset help with real illnesses?
A positive mindset does not replace treatment or determine the outcome of an illness: it can help you tolerate treatment and take care of yourself. Do not blame yourself if it is difficult to stay positive.
What should I say to myself when I am ill?
Instead of “I am sick” — “I am recovering”; instead of “I have no strength” — “I have reserves of strength within me, and I will help them come into action.” The phrase should be calm and affirmative.
Why write down things you are grateful for in the evening?
Writing things down makes changes visible: when you reread them a week later, you may notice improvements in sleep, skin, and mood that otherwise might have gone unnoticed.
Go deeper with Dr. Wydoff's materials
The Power of the Mind (e-book, Russian) →Awaken, Arise and Heal (e-book, Russian) →
Boris Wydoff — naturopath and author, Ph.D. in nutrition. For over fifty years I have helped people restore health through nutrition, cleansing and the power of the mind — in Europe, America and Asia. About the author →