Before you even start to read this article, I want you to take a big deep breath in through your nose, and then slowly release out your mouth.
Now drop your shoulders.
Mindset can shift when we notice what our bodies are doing. If you’re breathing fast, tight shoulders, racing heartbeat…it’s more challenging to seep into a calm & and relaxed mindset. These days, we are hearing the word mindset a lot! So, let’s break it down, get an understanding for it, and why it’s such an incredible tool for your mental health toolbox.
The dictionary defines mindset as; the established set of attitudes held by someone, or a fixed state of mind. The top answer on google says; Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation. It means that what you believe about yourself impacts your success or failure.
My favourite quote that embodies mindset for me is “Be fluid. Be fluid like water. Flow around the obstacles.” Master Choa Kok Sui.
Mindset is ultimately like water. Water cuts through rocks because of its patience and persistence. It creates a new path over time to get where it needs to go – softly. But at the end of the day, water is one of nature’s most powerful sources. When we hold a fixed mindset, we assume that our character, intelligence, and abilities are static and can’t be changed. This could manifest in us believing that we cannot, for instance, influence our future well-being. A fluid (also known as growth) mindset is one in which we see we have the capacity and ability to change. That our well-being can be achieved through increased effort and skill development. Research has shown that a fluid mindset allows people to navigate stress and challenges better and can lead to higher levels of well-being overall.
Have you ever consciously thought about your mindset and how it affects your everyday life?
Whether positive or negative, there are a few key things to take in:
– Everywhere you look you can find positivity or negativity; energy flows where attention goes, meaning where you put your focus will provide those same results.
– We are constantly put in ‘survival mode’ and trying not to get “banished” from groups or social circles.
– Are you affected and bothered by certain things? – people are counting on it, because they want to see your flaws.
– Make the decision – what is your baseline—Freedom or Fear?
– Life lessons – you are becoming prepared for the next steps.
These are all things that happen in everyday life and your mindset is what determines the outcomes of these situations. Are you ready to level up your experience as a human? Is what you’re doing, saying, and THINKING in alignment with who you want to be? At the same time, we need to forgive ourselves for not being the perfect version we may envision. It’s unrealistic to think we can be “on” all the time, that we can reach every single goal set.
We need to be fluid with circumstance to see that often the path to “said goal” may be the lesson more than achieving it. Taking a pause is just as important as hitting the gas. Your mindset and ability to tap into that about yourself will allow you to know when one or the other is needed. You must allow yourself to choose what is right for you in each moment. Our values can act like an internal compass, pointing us in the right direction.
Research shows that when we set goals and take action aligned with what is most important to us, we experience higher levels of well-being, personal fulfillment and happiness.
So, you say…Pam, how we do this? How do we work on mindset?
First, it starts with your desire. That will be the fuel to put you into motion.
Next, here are some areas where you can focus:
– Positive Emotion: engaging in hobbies, interests and activities that provoke laughter, smiling, fun, play and positive feelings.
– Engagement: identifying personal strengths and passions, and activating these through purposeful activity in your work, education, and personal life.
– Relationships: building healthy relationships and connections with others based upon shared interests, values, and mutual respect for each other’s needs.
– Meaning: identifying and connecting to the factors that provide meaning and purpose in your life and finding ways to express these through action.
– Accomplishment: setting achievable and meaningful goals, linked to what is personally important, and celebrating both the process and outcome of these tasks.
– Healthy behaviour: physical activity, improving sleep quality, focusing on nutrition, and cultivating positive stress management techniques.
Our coaching programs at Key Instincts are created with this framework. If you feel like you could use some extra support in this area, we are here to help. Remember, at the end of the day you are never alone on your journey to the best you.
I want to leave you with a couple of reflection questions:
1) What does well-being mean to you?
2) What does a fluid mindset look like to you?
With the right team around you and the right relationships surrounding you, your mindset is one of the most powerful tools you have! Use it to your fullest advantage and you will truly be unstoppable!
Want to know more? Connect with us!
