How Mindset Works: Make Your Body Your Ally

I used to think healing started once my symptoms were gone. When the fatigue, the pain, the flare-ups eased… then, I’d feel peace. Then I’d be happy. But what I’ve discovered—through my own health journey, through my patients, and through practicing the Surviving to Thriving Method—is that healing often starts with something much less visible: mindset.

Understanding how mindset works changed everything for me. Not just mentally, but physically. Because when you shift your inner dialogue and begin healing your relationship with your body, your body starts responding differently. It’s like you stop fighting each other and start working as a team. And let me tell you, that changes the whole game.

From Battle to Bond: Healing My Relationship with My Body

So many of us with chronic symptoms feel like we’re constantly at war with our bodies. I hear it all the time:

“My body’s betrayed me.”
“I can’t trust how I’ll feel day to day.”
“Why is this happening to me?”

I’ve been there too. It’s normal to feel frustration and grief when your body doesn’t seem to be showing up for you. But what if we flipped the script? What if your body is showing up—for you, every single day—just in ways you haven’t noticed?

That’s where the wellness mindset comes in. It’s not about “thinking positively” or pretending everything’s fine. It’s about tuning into your body with curiosity instead of criticism. It’s about asking: What do you need today? rather than Why are you failing me?

Your Thoughts Aren’t Just Thoughts—They’re Chemistry

Here’s the truth: mindset isn’t fluffy. It’s biochemical.

Every thought you have creates a cascade of neurotransmitters and hormones. That anxious thought? It might spike adrenaline and cortisol, your stress-response hormones. That moment of calm or gratitude? You’re likely producing more GABA, the neurotransmitter that tells your brain and body, you’re safe now.

Your nervous system doesn’t know the difference between the stress of a looming deadline and the stress of a chronic illness flare. What it does know is that when you constantly live in fight-or-flight mode, everything from digestion to immune function to hormone balance takes a hit.

So when we talk about how mindset works, we’re really talking about how your thoughts shape your biology. Changing your mindset can literally change your body chemistry. And when that chemistry shifts, healing can happen faster.

Treating Your Body Like a Beloved Pet

Here’s one of my favorite mindset tools: picturing your body like a beloved pet.

It might sound silly at first, but stay with me. Think of your body not as something broken, but as something loyal. Devoted. Maybe even tired or hurting, but still showing up for you every single day.

If your pet were sick or exhausted, would you yell at them? Shame them? Force them to push through?

Of course not. You’d ask what they need. You’d offer water, rest, comfort, and love.

Your body deserves the same.

Practicing this shift—seeing your body as a partner, not a problem—is one of the most powerful ways to reset the relationship between body, mind, and spirit.

Practicing Mindfulness to Rebuild Connection

If you've spent years tuning out your body because it felt like the source of your suffering, reconnecting can feel awkward at first. But this connection with the body is key to healing.

Try starting small. Place your hand on your heart and simply ask, How are you feeling today?

Or take a few deep breaths and notice what your belly feels like when it expands. Is it tight? Does it feel anxious? Is it asking for rest? Food? Movement?

You don’t have to get it perfect. Just practicing tuning in, over and over, begins building trust—on both sides.

Your body begins to believe, she’s listening now.
And you begin to remember, I can feel safe here again.

Making Your Body Your Ally

A mindset and body reset doesn’t mean denying your symptoms. It means expanding your view. It’s saying:

“Even though I’m having symptoms, I’m still grateful that my heart is beating.”
“Even though I’m tired, I recognize my lungs are still breathing for me.”
“Even though I feel stuck, my body is still trying.”

This is how mindset works. It changes what you focus on. And what you focus on, your body feels.

I’m not saying this replaces nutrition, movement, rest, or medical care. But shifting the internal narrative from my body is the enemy to my body is doing its best can be the difference between surviving and thriving.

What If You Could Feel Better Before You Feel Better?

Here’s the wild part: shifting your mindset doesn’t have to wait until you're symptom-free. In fact, making your body your ally often accelerates healing.

When your nervous system feels safe, your digestion improves. Your inflammation lowers. Your sleep deepens. Your hormones begin balancing. All because you shifted how you relate to yourself.

It’s not easy work, but it is powerful work.

So today, ask your body what it needs. Offer it kindness. Gratitude. Attention.

Because healing your relationship with your body might just be the first and most important step toward healing everything else.

If you're feeling ready to stop fighting your body and start listening to it, I’d love to help you find your way forward. Schedule a discovery call below, and let’s explore your next steps together.