A healthy mindset translates into all areas of life; as within, so without. In our chaotic and over-stimulated world, we face new obstacles that might hinder our ability to develop a healthy frame of mind. So where do we start? There are endless ways you can cultivate a balanced mind, many of which need to be tailored to the individual and their specific needs. To help you start, we’ve put together a list of five tips for a healthy mindset that we think most people can benefit from.
Start with the Body
Our physiology is greatly linked to mindset. If there are kinks in your mindset that you need to iron out – an easy way to start is by looking at what you eat and how you move your body. Many studies showing the direct link between gut health and mind health are emerging, so we simply can’t afford to ignore what we eat. The definition of eating healthy is different for everyone, so tuning in to how your body reacts to certain foods is a wonderful start. Eating wholefoods and incorporating exercise into your lifestyle is an instant mood booster. Try eradicating the idea of “exercise,” as a two-hour timeslot of torture and instead think of ways you can incorporate movement into your day, such as picking up a hobby or riding your bike to work. This will help you re-frame the idea of exercise as an opportunity to wind down and release tension from the body, making it more enjoyable and thus self-perpetuating a healthy mindset.
Develop Positive Habits and Rituals
It’s the little things we do each day that make up the whole of our lives. Simple things like meditating in the morning, going for a walk each afternoon, lighting a candle before bed or writing a five pages in a novel you’re working on. These rituals are like anchors that keep us grounded and travelling slowly towards a positive trajectory. They give us purpose, familiarity, a sense of achievement and belonging.
Simplify Your Life
Simplifying your life brings clarity to the mind. Noticing the parts of your life that are out of balance is a good starting point; from there you can start to pare back. It could mean de-cluttering your wardrobe, crossing off unnecessary tasks, cutting back on technology or spending less. Buying lots of clutter or spending too much time on technology, only serve to over complicate and disorient your life from what’s truly important.
Surround Yourself With Positive People
As babies, we learn how to be in the world by subconsciously mirroring what our parents do. The same is true for adults. The people you surround yourself with rub off on you, so it’s best to be around people that you want to emulate. You might need to gently distance yourself from the people in your life that do not help you cultivate a healthy mindset. While this might be uncomfortable at first, the benefits of being surrounded by positive people will be worth it in the end.
Cultivate Venerability and Shame Resilience
As we grow up we develop armor to help us deal with life, and while this can be affective to a certain point, this armor only serves to distance us from the people in our lives. Showing venerability helps you develop empathy and connection with people. Having real connections with people not only improve that quality of your interactions, but they are so important to keep the mind happy.
Get to know what makes your mind happy
