Do you want to change your health? It starts with your perspective. No, I’m not going to offer you mantras or affirmations, or tell you to think positively. But what I will do is point out something which guides how we make decisions about our health, but which we don’t often stop and critically evaluate.
Right now, the conventional approach to health is pathogenic. In other words, it’s about the factors that cause disease. This method has very distinct characteristic and principles. In a pathogenic mindset, you are either healthy or sick. The attention is on the specific diagnosis of the specific disease of the patient. Attention is also focused on the risk factors of the disease being considered. The starting point is the disease or problem.
Now let’s try a new mindset. The Salutogenic mindset. The word Salutogenic comes from the Latin salus = health and the Greek genesis = origin. A Salutogenic approach to health focuses on what makes us healthy rather than what causes disease. In this approach, you are not either healthy or sick. Instead, you are on a continuum, in which you are moving towards health or towards being sick. The attention is focused on the overall state of the health/illness of a person. Rather than just looking at the risk factors of the particular disease, the focus is on where the patient is on the health spectrum.
The starting point in this approach is the health potential of each patient instead of the patient’s disease or problem. A pathogenic approach is reactionary. Decisions are made in response to signs and symptoms of the disease. By definition, a Salutogenic approach is a proactive approach. Decisions are made to enhance each patients overall well-being.
Exercise, eating well, and taking supplements are all examples of a Salutogenic approach. Another familiar example is brushing your teeth and seeing your dentist regularly. Taking care of your spine and nervous system would be a less familiar example, but it can be essential in helping you realize your fullest health potential.
The next time you make any decision about your health, ask yourself: Am I being reactive or proactive? Am I focused on the disease, or am I focused on creating health? This change in your mindset can make all the difference.
