“We see the world not as it is but as we believe it to be.” David Robson
The research from David Robson's brilliant book, 'The Expectation Effect', astounds me. Take this study from 2015 conducted at the various New York hotels. Yale researchers told a non 'exercising' cohort of housekeeping staff that their daily tasks (hoovering, making beds, cleaning etc) accounted for a significant amount of exercise and was equivalent to multiple weekly gym sessions. Without any lifestyle changes, and after just four weeks, the participants showed remarkable improvements in their health metrics compared to a control group. Their blood pressure lowered, body fat decreased, and their waist-to-hip ratio improved. Beyond the physical changes, they reported feeling more energetic and less stressed. Work satisfaction also increased (Crum et al., 2007).
Various studies on the body have reported similar findings. Research on increasing VO2 max from raising expectations (Montes & Wulf, 2017), stories of dramatic improvements on the tour de France with placebo drugs (Maganaris et al., 2000), strength and muscle gains using visualisation (Ranganathan et al., 2004) and changes in stamina based on false feedback (Marcora et al., 2009) all point to the power of mindset.
This remarkable mind-body connection, not only has a dramatic impact on how our bodies respond to physical activity but, affects how our bodies respond to food. One notable study divided trial participants into two groups: one group received a ‘high’-calorie milkshake labelled as the "indulgent shake," while the other group received a ‘low’ calorie milkshake labelled as a "sensishake". In fact, both groups received the same milkshake with the same caloric content. Remarkably, participants who believed they had consumed the "indulgent shake" not only reported feeling more satiated but hormone profiles related to hunger regulation had also changed. The hormone ghrelin, nicknamed the hunger hormone, had reduced for the ‘indulgent’ shake drinkers. Conversely, the low calorie group reported less satiation, had lower metabolic rates and more ghrelin in their system.
The pleasure we derive from food is, not just an important variable in finding it satisfying but, impacts the actual absorption of nutrients. In Thailand during the 1970s, intervention to halt iron deficiency was managed with a supplemented porridge but, to the surprise of doctors conducting the intervention, there were negligible improvements in the blood work for the participants. It wasn't until they had swapped the bland porridge for a more palatable and familiar iron rich meal that the group fully benefited from the supplementation.
Research on stress and sleep similarly demonstrate the striking influence of the mind on the body. Crum emphasises that if we perceive stress as a benefit it will assist performance, if we perceive it as depilating, it will have the converse effect and erode it. Similarly, studies suggest that the perception of a lousy slumber is as detrimental as actually having poor nights sleep.
The examples above point to the power of mindset on our health. Given the importance of mindset on so many different areas of our life (from our daily movement to our eating habits), we might be making a mistake if we rely on our behaviours alone to attain the health goals we desire. We can get far more from our routines when we view their impact through an appropriately optimistic lens.
It maybe be easier to create the conditions for optimal beliefs when it's communicated to us by an external authority figure. The ‘indulgent’ milkshake drinkers, for example, needed no convincing that their shake would be more satiating. Therefore, getting the support of your friends, family, coaches, personal trainers, or nutritionists to assist health goals may be useful. But just as our mindsets can be strengthened and improved by others, our noble inclinations to view ourselves through the lens of exterior opinions often invites us to fault-find and make erroneous comparisons that can quickly erode a positive mindset.
Based on the research above, what lessons can glean for optimising a mindset for health?
Acknowledge that our minds are extraordinarily powerful. We need to challenge and elevate our personal beliefs, as well as the common place expectations. To a large extent, our bodies respond to the horizons we set. Visualisation can be a valuable ally in recalibrating our expectations.
Just as we train our physiques, we need to train our minds to find the advantage in all that we do and experience, for example: deriving an indulgent pleasure from a wholesome salad, expecting a performance elevation from stress or recognising strain from exercise as beneficial adaptation.
Self belief is not a luxury. Sometimes we won't get it right. The strongest people you know are also the easy on themselves. Backward steps are not fatal to those that can be generous to themselves when they most need it.
Studies:
Housekeeping staff: Crum AJ, Langer EJ. Mind-set matters: exercise and the placebo effect. Psychol Sci. 2007 Feb;18(2):165-71.
VO2 Max: Montes, O., & Wulf, G. (2017). The influence of verbal feedback on the acquisition of a novel motor skill:An investigation of the dual-feedback hypothesis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 24(5), 1491-1507.
Tour de France placebos: Maganaris, C. N., Maughan, R. J., & Gleeson, M. (2000). Mental fatigue in athletes causing decreased muscle force but not altered central activation. Muscle & Nerve, 23(8), 1058-1064.
Strength and muscle gains using visualization: Ranganathan VK, Siemionow V, Liu JZ, Sahgal V, Yue GH. From mental power to muscle power-gaining strength by using the mind. Neuropsychologia. 2004
Stamina and distance perception: Marcora, S. M., Bosio, G., & Pezzo, E. (2009). Placebo effects in sports medicine. Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(12), 1425-1430.
Milkshakes: Crum AJ, Corbin WR, Brownell KD, Salovey P. Mind over milkshakes: mindsets, not just nutrients, determine ghrelin response. Health Psychol. 2011 Jul;30(4):424-9; discussion 430-1. doi: 10.1037/a0023467. PMID: 21574706.
Iron deficiency intervention in Thailand: Björn-Rasmussen E, Hallberg L, Rossander L. (1977) Absorption of 'fortification'iron. Bioavailability in man of different samples of reduced Fe, and prediction of the effects of Fe fortification.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Ballantine Books.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.
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