Be Kind to Yourself
One experiment conducted related to exercising found that any negative word said or thought in your head during exercise, like “oh this sucks” and “I don’t want to do this” (I’ve been guilty of both), can produce stress causing hormones in your body and literally stop you from pushing yourself.
However, this experiment found that even using just one positive word can turn on genes that take away the physical stress you feel while exercising, and also activates the front part of your brain, which is responsible for driving you into action.
Just one positive word can have a multitude of effects, including the release of adrenaline, epinephrine, endorphins, dopamine, and even testosterone.
In Words Can Change Your Brain by Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, the authors, both experts in neuroscience and communication, make the argument that words can shape our thoughts, emotions, and social interactions.
They state the case that words can have many effects on emotions. Positive words can strengthen well-being, while negative words can cause stress and anxiety. Positive words can also lead to lowered stress and promoted healing, but negative language can contribute to physical illness.
And words don’t just impact yourself either. The authors introduce the idea of “compassionate communication,” stating that empathy and understanding in conversations are both important. When we communicate to each other with mindfulness and kindness, we can foster deeper connections and reduce misunderstandings.
Effective communication can even lead to “brain synchronization,” where two individuals’ brainwaves align and lead to better understanding and empathy.
In conclusion, use kind words! Experts and experiments have both shown that kind words will always have a better impact than negative ones, including anything from better relationships with others to better workouts.
Written by: Shengze