3098: The Nocebo Effect: Are You (Unknowingly) Thinking Your Way to Failure by Nia Shanks

[00:00:00] Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting. They can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:25] So press play on Good Sleep Tonight, because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app, and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. This is Optimal Finance Daily, The Nocebo Effect. Are You Unknowingly Thinking Your Way to Failure by Nia Shanks of niashanks.com. And I'm your host and personal finance enthusiast, Diana Merriam.

[00:00:55] Hello and welcome back to a bonus episode. On Sundays, I like to share an article from one of our other podcasts. And today's comes from Dr. Neil over on Optimal Health Daily. As you'll hear, the article today applies to many different areas of life, financial as well. So with that, let's get right to it as we optimize your life.

[00:01:22] The Nocebo Effect. Are You Unknowingly Thinking Your Way to Failure by Nia Shanks of niashanks.com. A patient taking part in an experiment is told her new medication may have symptoms such as nausea, stomach pains, and loss of appetite. Four weeks later, when she revisits her doctor for a checkup, she complains of nausea, stomach pains, and loss of appetite. The side effects from this medication are terrible, she groaned.

[00:01:49] When the doctor reports that the quote-unquote medication she's been taking are just sugar pills, she's silent in disbelief. How can someone experience side effects from a medication when they weren't actually taking a medication? This is the Nocebo Effect. It's what occurs when negative expectations of a medication lead to a more negative effect than it would have otherwise. As you'll see, the Nocebo Effect is not limited to medical treatments and drugs.

[00:02:17] Most of us, at one time or another, have likely had our own Nocebo experiences with health and fitness. I know I have. Three Common Ways People Nocebo Their Way to Failure I'll bet you can recognize yourself in at least one of these examples. Example 1. Lack of Sleep. Did you know getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night has been demonstrated to boost fat loss, build muscle, and provide a host of other health benefits? Of course you do.

[00:02:44] Coaches and health professionals love touting the benefits of sufficient sleep, and I'm no exception. Sleep should be a priority. It's one element of your health and fitness regimen that requires you to literally do nothing, but can positively affect the results from your nutrition and workout efforts. What does your day look like when you've got 5 hours of sleep or less the night before? You may have thought, there's no way I'm going to have a good workout today. And chances are, you probably had a terrible workout.

[00:03:13] It may not have been due to a lack of sufficient sleep, however. Your negative expectations of having a bad workout because of getting less than ideal sleep could be responsible for the bad workout. You noceboed your way straight to a crappy workout because of the negative expectations going into it. What would happen if you just shrugged off the situation and didn't give any merit to the night of less than ideal sleep? What if you approached your workout the same way you would have if you'd gotten a solid 8 hours of sleep?

[00:03:43] Circumstances can affect us, and in this example, our workout performance. But oftentimes, it's our perception of those circumstances and the attitude we choose to embrace in response that's even more powerful. 2. Pre-workout supplements. I quite like the placebo effect. It occurs when someone experiences an improvement or beneficial outcome due to their positive expectations, despite receiving an inactive substance or no actual treatment. Using the example from earlier,

[00:04:12] a patient taking part in an experiment is told the medication may give her greater energy and lead to deeper, more restful sleep. Four weeks later, when she gets a checkup, she reports having higher energy levels and getting more quality sleep. It's working, she boasts. When told she's been taking sugar pills, she's perplexed as to how she's been experiencing those positive side effects. If your belief in something makes it have a positive effect, or even greater effect, what's not to love?

[00:04:41] The power of placebo has been demonstrated repeatedly in research. One such study showed trained individuals increased their strength by over 300% simply because they thought they were taking steroids. When it comes to pre-workout supplements, many include ingredients proven to boost performance, like caffeine. But no doubt, someone's expectations of its effects make it even more effective. The ensuing holy-f**k-could-flip-a-tractor feeling they get after ingesting the caffeine-fueled mixture

[00:05:10] boosts their positive expectations of the product, so they may be more likely to have a great workout. On the flip side is the nocebo effect that can happen when someone can't have their usual pre-workout supplement or caffeinated beverage of choice. I've heard people say, this workout isn't going to be great. I ran out of my pre-workout mix. And when they have a lackluster training session, their previous belief about not being able to have a good workout without their pre-workout aid is solidified by the experience.

[00:05:40] If you like to drink a cup of coffee or take a pre-workout supplement before your training sessions, especially one including squats and deadlifts, that's great. I'm not saying not to use those things, nor am I saying they're not effective apart from a placebo effect. But don't be so reliant on them that if you run out or can't have your usual pre-workout beverage or supplement that you allow negative expectations of a less-than-stellar workout cause you to actually have one. Three, schedule conflicts.

[00:06:09] If you're the type of person who enjoys his or her routine, this one no doubt has affected you. Let's say your routine got interrupted and you had to work out much earlier or later in the day than usual, or you had to work out on a different day of the week. Did you go into that workout thinking, this is going to be terrible because you weren't able to work out at your preferred day or time? Hopefully you're starting to see how your mindset can greatly affect your performance and results. This isn't to suggest that you can simply positively think your way

[00:06:39] out of extreme exhaustion or circumstances. If you've been operating on very little sleep for an extended period, for instance, it will eventually affect you. Or if you just got over the flu, you can't have an, I'm going to set a personal record expectation the first time you get back in the gym and simply will it to happen. But hopefully you see the importance of mindset when facing common everyday situations. There are countless other scenarios where you could be succumbing to the power of the nocebo effect.

[00:07:07] Regardless of the situation or circumstances, the takeaway is the same. Don't make situations worse than they really are by piling negative expectations on top of them. What you think has a powerful effect on your actions and outcomes. Your mindset can be a potent force of construction or destruction. It's your choice how it will be used. You just listened to the post titled The Nocebo Effect.

[00:07:35] Are you unknowingly thinking your way to failure? By Nia Shanks of niashanks.com. And now a word from our sponsors at Betterment. When investing your money starts to feel like a second job, Betterment steps in with a little work-life balance. They're an automated investing and savings app, which means they do the work. While they build and manage your portfolio, you build and manage your weekend plans. While they make it easy to invest for what matters,

[00:08:03] you just get to enjoy what matters. Their automated tools simplify the complex and put your money to work, optimizing day after day and again and again. So go ahead, take your time to rest and recharge, because while your money doesn't need a work-life balance, you do. Make your money hustle with Betterment. Get started at betterment.com. That's B-E-T-T-E-R-M-E-N-T dot com.

[00:08:34] Investing involves risk. Performance not guaranteed. Some of these examples will probably ring true for you. And the example that rang truest for me was the scheduling conflicts one. I am tied to my routine. I like my workout routines, where I know I'm going to go get my workout in at this time on these days. But of course there have been meetings that pop up, or maybe I'm feeling a little tired, fatigued that day. And sure enough,

[00:09:03] I've been guilty of the nocebo effect. I've also been guilty of getting over the flu and trying to set a personal record at the gym, only to have to lie on the ground and put my feet up because I think I'm going to pass out. So I don't know as I read this to you if you had the same reaction, but to me, especially for that last tip, it was like she was reading my mind. And to be honest, this is something I work on a lot. I try and not let my routines guide how my workout's going to go or guide my mindset. My friends and family know that

[00:09:33] I'm not always the most flexible person. I kind of like things the way I like them. But it's something I work on. And I'm finding with my workout schedule, that's actually a great place to start and to try and get more flexible. I'm hoping that translates to other parts of my life as well. All right, that's it from me for today. Have a great Tuesday. Thank you as always for listening. And I'll be back here tomorrow as usual. So I'll see you there where your optimal life awaits.