As February begins we enter the new year in earnest and our unsettled summer season continues in Australia. School holidays are over, most industries have returned to business as usual and our summer public holidays are well and truly done and dusted.
Those of us who have been fortunate to have an extensive summer break are now back at work, study and/or caring for loved ones. Our commitments, responsibilities and obligations are asking for our full attention and life is in full swing.
Add to that national and global uncertainty and challenges, including financial pressures, protesting all over the world regarding the impacts of political unrest/war on innocents (especially children) and unpredictable weather systems impacting us everywhere! It is any wonder that our emotional/mental resilience is being tested. How affected we become by daily events depends on various factors including how invested and involved we are in world events and our individual and collective mindset around what is happening in our lives personally and as a species.
If mindset is defined as: a mental attitude or inclination and/or a fixed state of mind (from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mindset) then we see that mindset is our way of thinking, how we are within our minds and thoughts. This indicates to me that mindset begins with the individual – literally in our own heads!
The collective mindset can only be impacted when we take responsibility for our individual mindset.
It is when we take radical self-responsibility and then let that ripple out into our families and communities locally first that we can have a powerful impact on the collective mindset.
So, all of that being said, how do we foster and with practice, master, our mindset so that we can create a new way of being around the planet? How can we create the magic that results in transformation and liberation of our thinking minds?
How, as individuals, do we personally become more resilient and empower ourselves and one another to navigate difficult times with grace so that we emerge stronger on the other side of our personal and global challenges? How do we bounce back from adversity, stressful events and misfortune and how does doing so positively impact our mental/emotional wellbeing? How do attributes like optimism, healthy self-esteem and self-efficacy in our early years prepare us for future growth and resilience?
Let’s consider 3 powerful ways to take charge of our thought patterns!
Cultivate a ‘growth’ mindset
What does this even mean?
A growth mindset refers to reframing challenging circumstances as opportunities to learn and grow rather that viewing the same circumstances as fixed or reasons to give up and stay stagnant. A person with a growth mindset believes that through dedication and perseverance they can improve/better themselves and their life experience. This person leans into their inner strength and capacity to overcome challenges via strategies such as: using their challenges as stepping stones to personal/professional development, embracing and choosing to think that their setbacks are never failures but learning opportunities that assist them to keep moving forward toward a preferred outcome.
A person who engages in a growth mindset engages in uplifting self-talk and despite moments of deep self-doubt and uncertainty, chooses to accept and forgive themselves and others and gathers themselves internally, moving forward with grace and an attitude of appreciation for the opportunity to begin again, over and over, day by day.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a key component of cultivating a growth mindset. It involves being fully present moment to moment, accepting what is occurring without judgement.
In a fast-paced world, where stress, anxiety and depression are prevalent amongst all age groups, mindfulness can serve as an anchor, a way to stay grounded, connected to one’s true essence/inner being and capacity, feeling into the physical body via the breath and senses enabling a sense of calm and peace amid the chaos of both personal and world events.
Mindfulness can also lead to an increase in emotional self-regulation and resilience as practicing encourages the individual to accept what is which includes allowing oneself to feel every emotion experienced fully and letting emotions and accompanying thoughts come and go. It empowers the individual to regulate their nervous system and systematically calm the fight/flight/freeze response experienced when we are faced with a challenging situation.
It can be as simple as taking a few minutes each day (20 minutes is currently recommended as optimal to experience the benefits) engaging in meditation, deep breathing, yoga or tai chi. Mindfulness, like any exercise, does require regular practice and persistence but for this writer – it has been and continues to be, a simple yet life enhancing practice that can be incorporated into everyday situations with ease. The variety of ways to be mindful is endless and as such, it is a practice that can so magically adjusted to each individual’s unique lifestyle and preferences.
Develop self-compassion
As we seek to fill our lives with the magic of mindset mastery and pursue resilience, it is crucial to extend to ourselves self-kindness and compassion – just as we would to others when they are experiencing difficult or challenging times.
Treating ourselves with understanding and empathy is not only life affirming, it is life changing!
Non-judgemental listening is at the heart of all mental health first aid conversations and it is just as important to extend this skill to ourselves. Giving ourselves compassion and grace fosters an exquisite inner landscape that feels nurturing and tender. We are able to be more open and accepting of others, as we accept and understand ourselves, offering self-forgiveness when needed and realising that we are always doing the best we can with the tools we have at any given time.
It is only natural that self-compassion results in increased feelings of happiness, optimism, curiosity, connectedness and overall contentment in life, as well a decrease in anxiety, depression, rumination and fear of failure.
A great place to start is by acknowledging your feelings without self-judgement during challenging moments. Allow yourself to feel scared, sad or angry. Sit with your emotions and let them move through you. Accept that it is safe and okay to experience whatever you are feeling in response to an event that stirs up stress/unrest in you. Give yourself time to do this, even if it means taking some solitude if you are in an environment where you are engaging with others.
Treat yourself with the same care and compassion that you would extend to a friend, loved one or small child. This enhances your emotional wellbeing and strengthens your ability to bounce back from setbacks.
Catching out your inner critic, thanking him/her for trying to keep you safe and compassionately asking them to take the back seat because you are choosing to speak kindly to yourself is also a powerful strategy to adopt. This takes consistent practice but gets easier with time and is so worthwhile. As you personally speak to your own inner capacity, leaning into the tools you have learned for resilience, you will find yourself catching out both your own inner critic and that of your loved ones too! You will have opportunities to pass on your expertise to them, creating a beautiful ripple effect within households and communities.
As we engage in these 3 powerful ways to take charge of our own thoughts and as such, master our mindset, we can begin to create magic in our lives!
Consider too, the power of these tools taught to us in our early years! Giving our little ones the tools of growth orientated thinking, mindfulness practices and self-compassion and self-kindness, equips them well for any and all personal, familial, community and global challenges they may experience in their lifetime. The sooner we begin mastering our mindset in life – the better! Our minds and thoughts are powerful and can be our greatest tool in achieving an incredible quality of life that impacts us on an individual level but also brings the magic back into human interconnectedness.
After all, we are all one!
Why not live in a more enjoyable, harmonious way both within our own minds and within our communities? May you choose to create the magic of mindset mastery in your life.
To your wellbeing always,
Katrin
Your Wellbeing Matters Coaching 