It’s a fact – our thoughts strongly influence our well-being. After all, that’s the whole point of placebos. They often make you feel better just because you believe they will – even if they’re only made of sugar. Then there’s the opposite – what experts have dubbed the “no-cebo” effect. This is when you’re duped into believing that you’re sick – when you’re perfectly fine. Here are two common times it happens, and how you can outsmart the effect. We got these from Prevention magazine.

• You hear about a health scare in the news and think you’re next. For example, you read about tainted tomatoes after eating a BLT, and start to feel sick. Or you hear about a lice outbreak at a local school and your heads starts itching. Dr. Robin DiMatteo is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. She says that at any point, we all have symptoms that we ignore – simple things like an itch or an ache, but when something’s in the news, our awareness of symptoms like these is heightened. So, you mistakenly attribute your itchy scalp to lice. To outsmart this, think about your symptoms rationally. Instead of chalking up a stomach ache to tainted produce, ask yourself if you felt ill already. If you didn’t – chances are you’re overreacting.
• You read about potential side-effects on your prescription bottle, and think you’re developing them. Pharmacist Norman Tomaka is president of the Florida Pharmacy Association. He says that while it’s smart to stay informed and be observant, scary medical language can make us a little paranoid. Keep in mind that the FDA requires drug manufacturers to list all potential side effects experienced during a clinical trial, which means that if two or three people developed heartburn just one time, out of hundreds of volunteers, that’ll be listed on your prescription. So, before you start to worry, talk to your pharmacist. He can examine your dosage, other prescriptions you’re taking, and your medical history - and help you understand your true risk of side effects.