Creating a Healthy Mindset
When I was younger, phone conversations with my maternal Grandmother often began with her asking me, “Whatcha know good?” And, of course, I would say, “Nothin’”. (If I could do it all over again I would have said “You”.) She never gave up though on trying to get me to see and voice the good in my life. It took a few decades but I’m glad that before she passed away (at the age of 101-1/2!) she was able to see that her persistence paid off, well, at least somewhat – the optimistic realist that I am.
The daily stress of life can sometimes make it difficult to have a healthier attitude and lead a healthy lifestyle. However, there are actions you can take to foster a healthier mindset.
How You Can Have a Healthier Mindset
Many people wish they could see their life or certain aspects of their life more positively but don’t think it’s possible. They give themselves a hard time for being negative or not responding to life’s stressors in the way they would have liked. This only compounds the stress though. Instead of feeling angry with yourself for how you may usually respond, start with congratulating yourself for your desire to have a healthier mindset.
Here are few ways you can support a healthy mindset:
- Build a Safe Support Network – Talking with caring and supportive friends or joining a support group can be valuable. Get any professional support you think you need that is available to you. It’s important to have a way to voice your thoughts and emotions in a safe space. Connect with others in a way that brings you and them the most comfort and joy.
- Engage in Activities that Reduce Your Stress – Find ways to deal with the stress in your life. For some people, this can be through writing in a journal or blog on a regular basis. For others it is movement and exercise, prayer, or a meditation practice. Maybe it is a regularly scheduled get together with close friends and relatives. Or perhaps like for me, it is all of the above.
- Eating Healthy + Resting Well = Feeling Healthier – Another way to achieve a healthier mindset is to eat well and rest. You will feel healthier and refreshed. This doesn’t mean you can’t indulge, but it does mean noticing on balance what truly makes you feel better and listening to those signals.
- Affirm the positives in your life. Let me be clear. Having a positive mindset does not mean walking through the world as if everything is rosy. Because, well, it’s not. Things happen that can be devastatingly painful or just plain lousy. This is not about wearing a happy face all of the time. It does mean though seeing and acknowledging the whole picture – the good alongside the not so good. And that positive acknowledgement might start with recognizing your strength to endure really difficult times.
For some, a prayer or meditation of gratitude supports positive thinking. Or you could write at the end of each day three things that went well. For others positive affirmations are helpful. A positive affirmation to reprogram your mind towards a more positive bent could be as simple as telling yourself each morning, “I honor my body, mind, and soul by making positive choices.”
You may find a healthier mindset more accessible than you realize. I invite you to consider what ways you can take even more active steps to connect with others, manage your stress, treat your body with care, and give more weight to the positive aspects of your life.
