What is mindset?
Mindset is a set of feelings and attitudes you’ve acquired through experiences in life and helps shape how you perceive the experiences and events you go through. Also, your mindest influences your feelings and attitudes about everyday situations.
Why is changing your mindset so difficult?
Changing your mindset is difficult, but not impossible. However, it will take time and dedication, just like anything else in life that is worth it.
If you are trying to change your mindset to that of a positive mindset or growth mindset, keep reading for some tips to help make mindset change easier.
Why is it hard to make a change?
Making a change is hard because you have been influenced by patterns that have formed habits in your brain throughout your life, starting in childhood.
Nonetheless, your brain doesn’t like change and likes to keep things simple and automated. Therefore, when you try to push yourself out of your comfort zone, you then find the emotions of anger, anxiety, and fear.
When these feelings arise, self-doubt creeps in and many often give up because it feels too difficult to continue to change.
Your mindset habits started as a child when you learned patterns of survival and fitting in.
Perhaps you learned you had to stuff down your feelings and be perfect. Maybe you learn you should yell and scream to be seen or heard.
Not to mention, you may have learned to use negative self-talk, as you saw modeled by your parents. As you grew, these habits were formed in the brain and have been repeated throughout life.
Therefore, changing childhood patterns that have been going on for years, is difficult, but it can be done because the brain has the ability to change. (Yes, read that again: The brain has the ability to change.)
How long does it take to change your mindset?
There is no set timeline on how long it takes to change your mindset. It all depends on you and the work you put in.
If you set out to change your mindset, but only work on it two days per week, then it will likely take you a very long time. Yet, if you make your mindset change a daily habit and focus, you will see results quickly.
Any type of change requires discipline. However, you can start small and build on your successes.
For example, if you feel like you have a negative mindset and want to change that aspect of your life, try jotting down some positive affirmations and saying them every morning for a month straight.
You will eventually start to believe your positivity and make it a habit to be more positive. In turn, you will start your day off right in the morning.
Another example would be if you want to stop losing your temper. Try setting a timer every hour and check on your feelings. If you are feeling annoyed, try going for a walk, drinking water, or watching some positive motivational videos on Youtube (I love Jim Rohn for this.)
When you are confronted with an irritating situation, go back to these hacks and build your calmness muscle. It will be very hard at first, but you will notice a positive change over time.
10 Tips to Change Your Mindset
#1 Change Your Mindset by Learning Calmness
Staying calm is a great way to change your mindset. Especially if you are one to lose your temper often.
You must start by self-talk and reminding yourself to stay calm. You must picture the person you are going to yell at as yourself as a child. Think of how you would have wanted someone to talk to you back then. Use this to keep your cool and stay calm.
Try using meditation to help practice being still and calm. Research shows using meditation can help your emotional well-being and overall health.
#2 Change Your Mindset by Changing Daily Habits
Simply put, changing your habits will change your life. You must start building good habits such as exercise and reading into your daily routine. You can start by using micro habits and make small changes for the positive. Small changes over time, become big changes. And this, my friend, is life-changing.
You can read more about micro-habits here: 25 Micro-Habits to Start Now.
#3 Change Your Mindset with Discipline
Discipline is also a skill that can be learned. Ever wonder why some people watch television for five hours per day and others work out for two hours every evening? Some get up at five to get a workout in, and others hit snooze for hours at a time.
This all goes back to discipline, which can be hard to fix if you have been lax and not paying attention to things you do in your life for a while.
Try writing down your daily habits for one week. Check out the time-wasters and try to improve. If you watch television for five hours, try taking a walk for at least one of those hours. You can start small and build on that.
#4 ChangeYour Mindset with Exercise
As mentioned above, exercise is a good habit you want to form. If you are lax about life, chances are you are lax about exercise.
Try using a habit tracker and start walking (which is one of the easiest low-impact exercises most of us can do.) Just ten minutes per day will help and you can build up your stamina and do more as you go. You can even add in some light jogging or yoga.
Exercise has many health benefits. People that exercise often sleep better, have less stress and lower risk of certain diseases.
As you physically feel better about yourself, you will gain confidence that will spill over into your mindset habits.
#5 Change your Mindset by Removal of Toxicity
Start paying attention to the things and people that give you anxiety, anger, or self-doubt. These are the things and people you will want to remove from your life.
If you hang around toxic people or find yourself in uncomfortable situations, it is time to take a long hard look at who you are hanging around and make a choice. Choose yourself this time and find people and things that are positive and good for you.
It is not uncommon to lose friends on your journey to personal growth. You can read more about it here.
#6 Change Your Mindset by Personal Development
One of my goals in life is to be a better person each and every day. If you want to change your mindset, start to learn about personal development.
As mentioned above, I like to watch motivational videos at night when I’m putting my kids to sleep. However, there are also many podcasts and books you can try.
Try following people such as Jum Kwik and Tony Robbins to help you grow as a person. If these two are not your style, there are literally thousands of personal development people out there (including this blog)!!
#7 Change your mindset by Books
If you are committed to change, commit to reading daily. Find some self-help and motivation books to help you grow. You can also use business books if you are trying to grow a business and become more successful.
Here are some books I recommend and love:
- Energy Bus – Jon Gordon
- The Power Within – Tony Robbin
- The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg
- Anything by Brene’ Brown
- Anything by Jen Scencero
- The Secret – Rhonda Byrne
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- The Power of Now – Echart Tolle
Book recommendation post coming soon!
#8 Change Your Mindset by Taking Classes
Taking classes can challenge you and help you grow. You don’t have to pay a lot or go to college either. Check sights like Skillshare and Udemy to find affordable personal growth classes.
#9 Change Your Mindset by Thoughts
As you may have heard in personal development and even the Bible, “As a man thinketh, so he is.” This holds true for our life. If we are constantly thinking the worst or using “what if” scenarios about everything we do, we are creating unneeded anxiety that will continue until we change our thought process.
Try visualizing your life as you want it to be. Act as if your life is already that way. Think thoughts of love and abundance.
One way to help you get through this and overcome negative thinking is to use daily affirmations. Saying positive things to yourself over time can help you grow your thought process to that of a positive individual.
#10 Change your mindset by gratitude
Having an attitude of gratitude can ground and center you when you are feeling negative. Try writing down at least three things you are grateful for daily.
Reflect on everything you are grateful for. If you can’t think of anything, start with the fact that you are alive right now. You can continue to keep wishing and wanting, or you can be grateful for all that you do have in life.
Changing Your Mindset Final Thoughts
As you can see, changing your mindset is difficult, but if you start small and just start, you can accomplish your goals and change your mindset to that of a positive or growth mindset. Use the ten tips listed above to help you stay calm, remove toxicity in your life and grow as a person. You may find resistance and push back in your brain, but stick with it and if you quit, get back on the horse and keep going. You’ve got this!