You have over 6,000 thoughts a day. Make them work for your mental health, not against it.
Life has ways of testing our composure.
Whether facing financial pressures, relationship challenges, work issues, or any other unexpected setbacks, the ability to maintain calm under pressure and in stressful situations separates those who thrive from those who merely survive.
Have you ever stopped to notice how many thoughts cross your mind in a day?
Well, a 2020 Queen’s University study found that the average person has more than 6,000 thoughts per day.
That’s exhausting when you think about it as a number, right?!
Broadly but simply speaking, we can split our thoughts into positive and negative, which then shape our emotions and reactions.
So, where does mindset come into the equation here? Understanding its role is key because it directly impacts our mental health and resilience.
Put simply, mindset is our thought process, influenced by our core beliefs and attitudes, which are shaped by factors like our backgrounds and early-life learning, and then moulded by our own life experiences, as well as societal norms, myths, and practices.
Think of it like our internal “rule book” that we refer back to time and again whenever we face challenges, setbacks, or changes to the status quo.
Our mindset can influence our outlook, emotions, reactions, and the decisions we make, as well as the outcomes they lead to.
In the famous words of Wayne Dyer, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change”.
Mindset directly influences our mental health by shaping how we handle stress, emotional resilience, and self-worth, making it essential to develop.
Here are some familiar self-talk narratives we subconsciously repeat. How many of these do you recognise?
Knowing that you can develop a more robust mindset is life-changing because it empowers you to handle challenges more effectively, but this only comes with conscious practice.
Here is a framework to help you develop a more robust, flexible mindset, so you are better equipped to face challenges and bounce back from whatever gets in your way.
Mindfulness begins with simple awareness; take a deep breath, count to five, and notice your thoughts to bring calm and clarity to your mind.
Reframing narratives can help you view challenges with a more open mind, seeing obstacles not as problems but as opportunities to grow and learn. Try these narratives instead of those we explored earlier:
This is a process of identifying areas of your life where you have direct, indirect, or no control. The idea is to work out what things fall into which category and focus on the areas you can influence in every situation.
Much of our anxiety and self-doubt stems from dwelling on the past, thinking about our regrets, or worrying about future uncertainties. By anchoring your attention to the present situation, you eliminate the mental turbulence created by temporary displacement.
Pick three powerful affirmations to say at the start of your day and the end of your day. Give these a try:
Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to discover more mindset tips like these positive affirmations via our Monday Motivation and Health & Happiness posts!
You can practice visualisation anywhere, any time.
And it's not just a quirky idea: A 2019 study published by the American Psychological Association found that processing emotions using visualisation is more potent than processing them verbally.
The right mindset does not mean covering up, dismissing, or suppressing our actual feelings; it is about maintaining composure and poise. A robust and flexible mindset allows us to be aware of our feelings and emotions, identify aspects within our control, and tackle setbacks with an open mind. The beauty of the ideas we've suggested is that you can begin implementing them immediately, starting with small steps and changes and gradually expanding their role in your life.