Strategies to build a Resilient and Productive Mindset
What if being your best self doesn’t involve changing your surroundings, but instead reforming your mindset? A healthy mindset is not solely about positive thinking, it’s actually about seeing problems as challenges for personal growth and handling everyday life with resilience.
Interested to know ‘how to have a healthy mindset?’ So, you’ll be surprised to know that now you can discover the effective habits which may help you in altering your thought-patterns, improve your well-being, and lead you to a more satisfying and purpose-driven life. Let’s plunge into further interesting mental facts and details!
As quoted by the great inventor Henry Ford:
Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.
The quotation highlights the power of self-belief in shaping our resilience and success. It means that when you believe in yourself , you might have more chances to overcome challenges in a positive manner and achieve your goals successfully. In contrast to this, if you doubt your abilities, you may not get the success due to negative self-belief.
By acknowledging this notion, you may start shifting your thought patterns in supporting your personal development and overall happiness.
What is a Mindset?
A mindset is a set of core beliefs and attitudes you hold about yourself and your surrounding world. Basically, it influences your thoughts, feelings and behaviors you project in a specific situation- sensing the world and yourself having a certain set of beliefs is known as “Mindset”. It may determine your accomplishments and failures.
For instance, as people may experience different circumstances, their mind brings out a specific mindset which influences them to behave in a certain way being in that specific circumstance or situation.
As stated by Carol Dweck (a psychologist from Stanford University), your belief system has a significant influence on what you really wish for and whether you’ll attain it (wish) or not.
An Advice
There is an episode of a podcast to watch for better clarity. The Verywell Mind Podcast was hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW. She has shared about “how to build mental strength”.
Types of Mentality
There are two types of mindsets:
- Fixed Mindset: A firm belief that your intelligence and abilities are static and unchangeable.
- Growth Mindset: Another belief according to which, you have a conviction that intelligence and abilities are not static, but may require effort and learning to improve.
Some examples of Fixed VS. Growth Mindset:
| Fixed Mindset | Growth Mindset |
| Maybe I’m good at it or I’m not. | I can learn anything whatever I want to. |
| That’s how I am and I can’t change it. | I’m open to change and have the potential to progress. |
Why is Perspective Important?
So, here the question arises on the importance of mindset, as far as its importance is concerned, then undoubtedly it holds a great importance in the life of an individual being. It is very important as it helps in shaping up our life experiences, in terms of how we are approaching and overcoming these challenges coming our way.
A mindset will influence how you behave and react in a particular moment or situation, which solely depends upon the mindset you hold. You view things and perceive them as per your mindset. For example, if you have a growth mindset , you view the obstacles as opportunities which help you to stay resilient and committed towards your goals whereas if you have a fixed mindset having negative thoughts it creates hindrance to achieve your goals successfully.
Therefore, your mindset is like a mental toolkit which keeps you determined and motivated in leaning towards your goals, which plays a significant role in your personal growth as well.
Research also supported the idea on the importance of mindset, this study stressed upon the impacts of a growth mindset on the academic success of students who are admitted in STEM education. It brought out positive outcomes of growth mindset, as the students having a growth mindset are more likely to engage in problem-solving and challenging tasks to refine their skills. This helps them to stay motivated and resilient towards their goals and are able to achieve academic success.
What is a Progressive Mindset?
For a balanced and fulfilling life, one needs to have a healthy mindset. The way we care for our physiological health concerns, similarly we are also required to take care of our psychological health as well.
A healthy mindset comprises opting positive thought and habits that will help in bringing out resilience in order to tackle different life challenges. It helps us to cope in a productive way by being well-aware of our thoughts and feelings. This will help us to grow as an individual.
The Mind-Body Connection
There is a connection between your mind and body in functioning as a living being, this connection is recognized by a healthy mindset. Our thoughts, physical, and emotional health have a powerful connection between each other. It means that our psychological responses impact our physical health.
Research has shown that healthy coping strategies, positive emotions, and optimistic thinking are linked towards an improved physical health and overall well-being.
How to Cultivate and Maintain a Healthy Outlook
It requires consistency and regularity for maintaining a healthy mindset. It starts with small daily tasks that will help influence your thoughts. Cultivating a healthy mindset holds a huge importance ,as our thoughts and emotions affect our behavior.
In today’s era, it is challenging for one in establishing a healthy mindset, due to the negativity in our surrounding environment. Despite the fact, you can still adopt some healthy habits by staying committed and consistent in order to reach your ultimate goal for the cultivation of a healthy mindset.
You can try out these tips:
- Get adequate amount of sleep
- Do exercise regularly.
- Take healthy intake of food
- Take a break that makes you relax from daily stressors.
- Find a hobby for yourself which makes you feel happy.
- Take time for yourself by practicing self-care.
- Challenge your negative thoughts by rationally thinking about it.
- Accept yourself for who you are by accepting your flaws and gracing your qualities.
Positive Habits to Improve Your Life
Adopting these habits can help nurture a healthy mindset:
1. Daily Journaling
Daily journaling really works in building a healthy mindset. Try to write daily about the thoughts occurring in your mind. This helps in identifying the healthy emotions and it becomes easy for you to set goals for yourself with a clear understanding. Daily journaling also enhances creativity. Journaling gives you clarity and fosters creativity.
2. Practicing Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness will keep you calm and relaxed, which eventually helps in reducing your stress and worries. Exercises of Mindfulness help you to stay focused in the present moment.
3. Positive Affirmations
Give yourself positive statements that help you in building up high self-esteem and confidence. Daily repeat these positive affirmations and reprogram your brain by shifting your negative self-talk to a more embracing one.
4. Gratitude Practice
Practice gratitude daily by appreciating the small things you have in life, being grateful for what you have will divert you from all sorts of stresses lowering your esteem and confidence.
5. Visualization
Visualizing your desired goals will help you in reaching towards them through a mental roadmap which you have visualized.
6. Surround Yourself with Positivity
Build a circle of people having positive energies who uplifts your mood. Avoid surrounding yourself with toxic people who drain your mental peace.
7. Seeking Growth Opportunities
Take failure as an opportunity to grow yourself. Failures are a part of your milestones towards success.
8. Practicing Forgiveness
Resentments may drain you psychologically and what sets you free from this emotional burden is forgiveness. Practice forgiving people for your own mental peace.
9. Set Boundaries
Try to be assertive by saying no to the things which make you uneasy. Setting boundaries for certain people and stuff will free you from the unwanted stressors.
10. Seek Support
Seek help and support in whatever hard times you are going through. Don’t hesitate to take guidance from a reliable resource.
11. Self-Care
Taking good care of yourself is the most fundamental act you can do for yourself. Self-care recharges you both physically and mentally. Embrace your mind, body and soul by considering and loving yourself.
How to Change Your Patterns?
We can change our negative thought patterns into positive ones by working on our internal dialogues or inner voice.
- It begins with thoughts: As it begins with your thought, as you have a self-doubting inner voice which inculcates negative thought patterns.
- Ask the right questions: You need to ask yourself the right questions which are rational in nature. These questions will help you in molding these negative thoughts that help you in focusing more on the possibilities instead of the limitations. Such types of inner statements will be ingrained in your mind timely and you’ll start progressing towards a healthy overall well-being.
Related Pick: Mental and Emotional Health: Tips and Tricks to Control Your Emotions
Benefits of Having a Progressive Approach
You may come across numerous benefits of having a healthy mindset, some of them are jotted down in the section below:
- Increased happiness
- Improved physical health
- Enhanced well-being
- Increased resilience
- Better coping skills
- Improved relationships
- Greater success
- Enhanced creativity
The Big Tenets to Maintain a Balanced Outlook
1. Be compassionate with yourself
The foundation of a healthy mindset lies within you i.e. being kind towards yourself. Self-compassion will bring a sense of love for yourself in developing a healthy progressive mindset. Whenever you fail on something, give yourself room for improvement instead of shaming yourself. Find ways that will make you compassionate towards you which will gradually make you emotionally resilient.
2. Go back to basics
Prioritize your basic needs, like sleep, food and physical activity that helps in improving your mental health. Make a proper schedule for your sleep. Intake an adequate amount of diet full of nutrients. Adding physical activities to your daily routine which can be either a simple walk or anything you’re comfortable with, even taking the stairs comes in the category.
3. Focus on progress, not perfection
Value yourself for your efforts you have put in maintaining healthy habits for your mind. Even the small things matter, so celebrate this journey of your improvements so far. Nobody is perfect, therefore try not to expect perfectionism from yourself instead appreciate the progress and growth of your personality in the present moment.
Learn the 90-Second Rule
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor developed the 90-Second Rule, according to which, whenever an emotion triggers, our brain experiences a chemical reaction lasting for up to 90 seconds. After this, the emotion starts to fade away unless you keep thinking about that specific emotion. You can avoid getting stuck with the thoughts which make your emotion strong. This can be avoided only if you wait 90 seconds before reacting towards it.
The 90-Second Rule helps in regulating your emotions and keeps you calm. Sometimes, it’s not that easy especially in tense situations, but you can get better at it by practicing this technique frequently.
Conclusion
Adopting a healthy mindset is not a one time task, in fact it is a life-long process. You need to follow a pattern encompassing healthy habits on a regular basis. These habits will influence you in a positive way by building a healthy mindset. Start with smaller steps to reach forward- you’ll make it for sure!
