Mindset
Last few weeks, we talked about how to create and implement new habits.
I can’t emphasize how helpful it was for me to acknowledge my daily routine and target behaviors I wanted to change.
Some of our attitudes may happen automatically. Finding ways to simplify the desired action while making more difficult the ones we want to stop, it is a game-changer. To be able to swap habits, we first need to know they exist.
During this week # 5, I want to focus on the connection between habits and mindset.
Everything Starts With a Thought
I keep going back to our mindset because everything starts with our thoughts. The world we see, our perception of failure or success, the intensity of happiness or sadness, it depends on the way we look at things.
We think about something or someone and it immediately creates an emotion. Talking, doing, eating, working, feeling, it all began with a thought.
Creating a joyous mindset, and proactively inserting positive habits on how to look at things can make a significant change on our wellbeing, and increase our feeling of happiness.
Don’t Ignore It, Swap It
A while back, my therapist was working on some negative thoughts and fears I had. She applied a very interesting technic on me.
I had to think about the negative topic purposively, and then exchange it with a positive thought and desired outcome that I had already defined.
For example, fear of losing my work. Negative thought: if I lose my job, I won’t be able to pay my bills. Positive thinking: I feel safe, and I am thankful for having a great place to work that makes me very happy.
She asked me to start confronting my fear and reprograming my thoughts by training my mind on the outcome I wanted.
By practicing this exercise a few times, I realized that I would move from my fear into the peaceful place I created in my mind. After replacing my glum thought, my anxiety, and concern about being unemployed decreased.
It’s a practice, and it takes time and effort. Consistency and discipline can build a new mindset muscle, believe me.
The Power of Our Words
“Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.”
―
Our words carry energy and vibration. They can create wounds that may last a life long, or heal others that may appear to be unrepairable. Expressions can be sharp as a knife or comforting as a cuddle.
Terms we use with ourselves have the same impact on our bodies. Our self-talk is the software that programs how our brain runs. It’s the color we paint our lives and the reality we create for ourselves every day.
Positive self-talk is a vitamin boost, an antidote for fear, sadness, and low self-esteem. While we may have tons of blessings around us, the way we talk to ourselves can make all the difference in our mental and physical health. With our minds, we can build an invisible wall that isolates us from all the love surrounding ourselves.
Love
This week, as we continue to focus on new habits, start listening carefully to your inside voice. What are the statements you make about yourself several times a day?
Try this exercise:
- Pay attention to repetitive thoughts you have during the day, when something goes well, or not. What is the trigger? What story do you tell yourself?
- Make two lists: first the positive and then, the negative self-talk.
- Evaluate the negative ones: ask yourself if you would say that to the most important person in your life. Would you consciously hurt the creature you love the most even if what you are saying is true? What could you say instead?
- Swap the discouraging ideas with thoughts that will help you achieve what you want, or show love, encouragement, and care for yourself.
- Build a complete uplifting phrase in the present tense, as if it is already a reality. Write it in a piece of paper what you want to achieve, use only positive words. Make the statement bold and powerful. Visualize it as it is a reality.
Put these love notes in places that will help you practice your mindset change. In your bedroom, your desk, your purse, etc. Maybe, wear something that can be used as an anchor to adjust your thought.
If you can, count how many times you use adjectives to compliment yourself, and words to criticize your behavior. You may be surprised by the result.
I created a template to help you track your mindset habits. Good luck!
“The mind is just like a muscle – the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.” ―
