Stay positive :–)
Optimism is good for your health. And optimism, and positive thinking more generally, seems to give a boost to the Janice Walton-Hadlock (JWH) protocol. You could say positive thinking is grease for the wheels of the protocol. In my experience, progress is better and the daily practice of the protocol is more effective in the presence of a positive attitude.
Unfortunately negative thinking seems to go hand-in-hand with Parkinson's. It is in fact so common in PD that JWH describes it as a feature of the “Parkinson's personality” (RFP, 2020, pp. 202-203). She writes, “Over time, the use of the Parkinson’s personality creates habits of negative thinking that make it harder to turn off pause.”
To make matters worse, the negativity is compounded by what the medical establishment tells us about our diagnosis — that it's “incurable,” that there is no recovery possible. Is it any wonder such a message generates fear and pessimism (RFP, 2020, p. 29)?
So it stands to reason that doing things to nurture optimism and positive thinking will be helpful in the journey toward turning off pause and recovering. To be clear, the core exercises of the protocol, in themselves, help to neutralize negative thinking, replacing it with positive thinking, via stimulation of the midbrain. But along the way I've found it helpful to do additional things to spark optimism. I consider myself lucky to be generally a little more optimistic than seems to be typical of people with Parkinson's. But that doesn't mean I don't work at it. Here are a few possibilities:
As simple as it sounds, I think the first step is simply to recognize the need for optimism and positive thinking, and to commit to doing what you can to nurture them. If you are caught up in negative thinking to the point that you are cynical about the value of positive thinking, then you have some work to do.
Use music to boost your mood (which is of course associated with positive thinking and optimism) and provide inspiration. Listening to music I like tends to improve my mood. It doesn't even have to be a happy song; as long as it's one I like my mood seems to benefit. And if the content of the song inspires your continued engagement with the protocol, all the better.
JWH advises keeping a detailed list of all your symptoms, including those involving how you feel inside, and noting when you see changes (RFP, 2020, p. 189). Seeing where you've made gains over time will help fight negative thinking, and will help to counter it when it comes from those around you, such as that doctor or family member who remarks only on those visible symptoms that haven't yet improved.
Connect with others pursuing the protocol to encourage and inspire one another. Their support and successes will inspire you.
JWH writes in RFP (2020, p. 203):
[M]any long-term practitioners of eastern religions have practiced keeping a feeling of energy at Yin Tang, also known as “the third eye,” during waking hours. Even if one is on pause, it seems as if this practice helps prevent or slow the formation of fearful or angry neural habits. You might say this habit prevents or slows the “brain wiring,” that supports negative thinking.
Note that this is the first of the auxiliary exercises (p. 131). It's easy to focus on this exercise almost any time. So don't skimp on it. It will help you stay positive!
Consider this: If you're pessimistic about the likely outcome of the protocol, it is doubtful you will invest much time or energy in it. And then, in all likelihood, that pessimistic view will become a self fulfilling prophecy. Don't let that happen!
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.”
~ J. B. Priestley