Calm Mind, Stronger Body: Can a Positive Mindset Really Improve Your Surgery Recovery?

While most plans focus on your physical health, adding simple mental wellness tools may lead to better outcomes and a smoother recovery.

High-Yield Takeaways:

• Stress, anxiety, and poor sleep before surgery can increase complications and delay healing.

• Taking care of your mental wellness improves surgical recovery, immune response, and pain control.

• Small daily habits, like breathing exercises, reframing negative thoughts, and improving sleep, can have a meaningful impact.

• It’s never too early to start preparing your mind for surgery.

Why Is Mental Wellness Important Before Surgery?

Preparing for surgery is often seen as a physical task: eating well, staying active, and adjusting medications. But your mental state is just as important.

Surgery is a major life event, and it’s completely normal to feel stress, anxiety, or uncertainty as your procedure approaches. In fact, studies show that 60 to 80 percent of patients experience significant anxiety before surgery. If left unmanaged, this stress can increase pain perception, raise blood pressure and heart rate, interfere with sleep, and weaken the immune system, all of which can slow your recovery.

Similarly, pre-surgery emotional distress has been linked to longer recovery times, higher rates of complications, and greater functional decline after surgery.

On the other hand, patients who take steps to prepare mentally often experience lower anxiety, less pain and discomfort, faster healing, and better overall well-being.

Mental wellness is as crucial as physical preparation. By managing stress and building healthy coping strategies, you can approach surgery with more confidence and set yourself up for a smoother recovery.

Key Mental Wellness Strategies

Managing Anxiety and Fear

Feeling nervous before surgery is completely normal. But if those feelings become overwhelming, they can spiral into panic or chronic stress. Recognize your fear without judgment. Label it. “I’m worried about the anesthesia,” or “I’m scared something might go wrong.” Then, ask yourself: What’s in my control right now?

Simple tools to manage pre-surgery anxiety:

• Box breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4)

• Writing down your fears and reframing them with facts and supportive thoughts

• Talking to your care team about what to expect

Building a Positive Mindset

A positive mindset doesn’t mean ignoring fear, it means creating space for hope, strength, and resilience alongside it. Research suggests that optimism before surgery is linked to faster recovery and fewer complications.

Try this:

• Write one affirmation each day: “I am strong and prepared for my healing.”

• Reflect on past challenges you’ve overcome. Remind yourself that you are capable.

• Spend a minute or two visualizing a successful, safe surgery and a smooth recovery.

Relaxation and Coping Techniques

Meditation, guided imagery, and even listening to calming music have been shown to lower heart rate, reduce stress hormones, and improve surgical outcomes. In fact, research supports that relaxation techniques helped reduce preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain.

Start with 5–10 minutes per day. Apps, recordings, or even quiet moments in nature can help ground your nervous system. Be sure to have your favorite recordings available to you throughout your surgical journey.

Establishing a Sleep Routine

Poor sleep before surgery is linked to slower wound healing, worsened pain, and a higher chance of postoperative delirium.

Tips for better sleep:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day

• Avoid screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime

• Try a calming ritual: warm bath, light stretching, relaxing music or herbal tea

Connect With Support

Mental wellness doesn’t happen in isolation. Reach out to a friend, loved one, or therapist if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes just talking through your fears can lift a huge weight. You don’t have to carry it alone.

When Should You Start?

Start as soon as you know surgery is coming. Giving yourself a few weeks, ideally 3 to 4, allows time to build these habits gradually. Even starting a week or two before your procedure can make a real difference. The earlier you begin, the more prepared and confident you’ll feel walking into the operating room.

Final Thoughts

Mental wellness is a powerful, often overlooked part of the healing process. And it doesn’t require hours of work. Just a few mindful moments each day can shift how you feel, how you heal, and how you recover.

So, take a breath. You’re already on the path to healing, and your calm, clear mind is one of your greatest tools.

Prepare Well Health is here to support you throughout your journey. Whether you're just beginning to think about surgery or looking for tools to feel more confident, we're here to help. Get started here.

References:

Kassahun, W.T., Mehdorn, M., Wagner, T.C. et al. The effect of preoperative patient-reported anxiety on morbidity and mortality outcomes in patients undergoing major general surgery. Sci Rep 12, 6312 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10302-z

Shebl MA, Toraih E, Shebl M, et al. Preoperative anxiety and its impact on surgical outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Transl Sci. 2025;9(1):e33. Published 2025 Jan 17. doi:10.1017/cts.2025.6

Gu X, Zhang Y, Wei W, Zhu J. Effects of Preoperative Anxiety on Postoperative Outcomes and Sleep Quality in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Gynecological Surgery. J Clin Med. 2023;12(5):1835. Published 2023 Feb 24. doi:10.3390/jcm12051835

Geoffrion R, Koenig NA, Zheng M, et al. Preoperative Depression and Anxiety Impact on Inpatient Surgery Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study. Ann Surg Open. 2021;2(1):e049. Published 2021 Mar 16. doi:10.1097/AS9.0000000000000049

Niklasson A, Finan PH, Smith MT, et al. The relationship between preoperative sleep disturbance and acute postoperative pain control: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2025;79:102014. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2024.102014

Butris N, Tang E, Pivetta B, et al. The prevalence and risk factors of sleep disturbances in surgical patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2023;69:101786. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101786