The Placebo Effect is Real: our mindset matters
- ERIKA MURALIDHAR
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
I recently had a conversation with a fellow nurse about the power that the placebo effect can have on a patient’s outcome. The placebo effect is a topic we usually discuss in conventional Western medicine, particularly in the context of clinical trials. It’s what new research is tested against.
When a trial is happening, there are usually two different groups:
When someone believes they are getting better, their body can sometimes respond and get better physically.
Try it quickly, read these two lines, and notice if you feel a difference in your body.
Negative self-talk: “Today I’m feeling tired. Today is just not my day. It’s just not my day. I’m finding myself so frustrated and annoyed today. Nothing is going right”
Positive self-talk: “I’m feeling full of energy toady. Everything is happening for me. Things are flowing easily. I am happy. I trust that good things are coming my way.”
I always feel small, wanting to sit around and close myself off to the rest of the world when I read the negative self-talk.
And it’s because the way we talk, to ourselves and to others, matters.
Obviously we need to support our minds with proper care, depending on the situation. That might involve nutrition, movement, surgery, or medication. But this is your reminder that how we speak to ourselves will directly impact our health and wellness.
As a nurse, I always pay attention to how I speak to patients. Studies have shown that when you provide honest but optimistic and encouraging language, patients tend to recover faster.
An example of this might be: “Some patients experience x, y, z negative outcomes—but many experience this benefit, this return to function, this improved feeling.” That kind of wording helps put the patient's mind at ease and allows self-healing to begin from the inside.
Our mind matters to our health, and we can use it as a tool for healing if we begin to tune into the words we choose each day.
So this week, I’d encourage you to listen to your inner voice and the words you speak out loud. Are they riddled with “should, can’t, not, no, struggle, bad, tired, disease, illness”? Or do you speak with words like “can, love, excited, motivated, ease, health, happiness”?
The words we choose shape our reality. You might find that healing doesn’t always start with medicine. Sometimes, it begins with a thought. So what have you been saying lately?
The words we choose shape our reality.
Meet the expert:
Erika is a nurse, holistic health coach, Reiki master, NLP practitioner, and aromatherapy specialist. She helps women ages 30-60 who have been swept up in the hustle mindset of trying to do everything "right" and are experiencing burnout, stubborn weight gain, or hormonal challenges. She helps these women make connections between the body and the mind, so they can finally have the life their ways wanted.
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