Creating a Healthy Mindset (Not Your Typical List)

Woman Sitting by the Water and Meditating

Share

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

What is a Healthy Mindset?

Based on our discussion about whole body health, we can interpret mindset health as the current state we are in.

“Healthy” can be considered a progression of wellness which brings us to a more complete mindset.

To begin the discussion about a healthy mindset, we should first recall the parts of our whole being.

Three parts of our whole being are physical, mental, and spiritual.

In This Article

3 Parts of Our Mind

In addition to three parts of our whole being, our mindset can be broken into three parts as well: thoughts, emotions, and actions.

While each has its own purpose, they also work very closely together. Each leads back to the others.

When we try to make a change or alleviate an issue, we often don’t realize that one affects another. However, it is important to understand how all three parts make up our whole mind.

Thoughts

Thoughts are a part of our mindset and are the anchor for emotions and actions.

Our thoughts are contemplated and can change our emotions and promote our actions.

This can be confusing if we question which comes first.

In addition, our thoughts are the filter through which our emotions are seen.

This means that we use our thoughts to evaluate what is going on with the other parts of our mindset.

Emotions

For clarity, it is important to remember that emotions are formed after our thoughts are present.

Our emotions come from our thoughts not vice versa.

If we are mad or sad, we don’t feel the emotion first then assume it causes a certain thought.

When these or any emotions are present, something took place that provoked (triggered) our thoughts.

In turn the emotion is prompted.

This can even include subconscious thoughts, or habitual thought processes, which is why it often feels like emotions drive the situation. We might even try to turn the emotions off.

(We will build on driving emotions later in this discussion regarding creating a healthy mindset.)

An important side note, this discussion is not about specific chemical imbalances, sensory integration situations, or medical/mental diagnoses. Those can create instances that are addressed differently.

Actions

Just as with our emotions, actions come from thoughts.

Our actions are essentially reactions put into motion.

They are thoughts that formed and were considered before we decided to make a move.

Our thought process precedes our actions.

An side note, there are situations where people may act erratically without thinking things through.

Since we are talking about parts of mindset to create wellness, this type of quick action does not fall into this category.

It can be more detrimental and create difficult outcomes and should be avoided.

How to Interpret Your Mindset

Regarding the introduction of three parts of our mind, it becomes apparent that we cannot look at just one to create or assess change.

Often, we see information attempting to convince us that we can change our mindset by following a list.

The problem with this ideology is that it only accounts for a portion of how we bring about change. We cannot simply check off the parts of a list and expect long term change.

A healthy mindset runs much deeper and includes other steps that should be taken.

We must first understand how to interpret our thoughts, emotions, and actions to promote wellness.

Mindset wellness is an ongoing process and includes a variety of parts.

Static vs. Dynamic Mindset

This concept explains how we operate within our thought process.

Two ideas in this discussion pertain to growth potential of an evolving mindset.

 

Static Mindset—Thoughts that we rarely try to change even if they may be detrimental to our health.

Dynamic Mindset—Being open-minded to change and, although possibly uncomfortable with the thought, welcoming to an opportunity.

 

When seeking growth, we should keep dynamic thoughts by entertaining ways of wellness.

This effort can bring wholeness.

Sometimes we try to convince ourselves that staying the same is better or has a safer outcome. However, a static mindset doesn’t allow growth or increased health.

What is Your Perspective?

Our perspective is how we see things or our viewpoint of something.

How we see things is a part of our thought process. It directly correlates to our emotions and actions.

Other than our willingness to promote growth, perspective is the single most important idea for bringing change.

An optimistic perspective creates great space for growth and is the foundation for healthy impact.

It affects multiple parts of our life and contributes directly to our whole health outcomes.

Define Your Outlook

Beyond consideration of our perspective, outlook involves our steps moving forward.

We can consider it in this way:

 

Perspective—The filter or lens with which we view our circumstances.
Outlook—The vision we have when looking ahead.

 

While both are an important part of growth for a healthy mindset, outlook is the portion that propels us to our next steps.

With a static mindset or poor perspective, we can be burdened with a negative outlook.

Realizing this is important and should be a driving force in promoting overall health.

Fist Bump After Activity for Mental Health

5 Foundational Concepts for a Healthy Mindset

Now that we have discussed the overview of mindset and important parts to be aware of, we can move into the actual steps for creating new parameters.

First, you should make a commitment to yourself.

This is a vital part of growth in the realm of mindset change (and beyond).

True commitment keeps us moving forward even when we are discouraged, feel overwhelmed, or want to quit.

Commitment outlasts those things that try to knock us down.

Be loyal to yourself and your personal growth!

1) The Mind-Body-Spirit Connection

It is important to remember that whole health involves all parts of us.

The mind, body, and spirit are weighted parts of our overall health.

We should stay consistent with efforts to promote growth in all areas. One part should not get more attention than the others.

If this happens, it can become the focus of our routine. We should remember that highlighting one area will decrease the wholeness of the others.

Overall consistency with our steps and efforts helps us gain more growth.

2) Choose to Love Yourself

Because we have so many ways to stay connected, keeping a healthy personal image is more challenging than ever.

This is because we use comparisons in too many of our personal situations.

Shaking this mindset is key.

Loving who you are is foundational for a healthy mindset.

Try to remember that you were made exactly as you are without mistake. Every part was planned and made precisely by design rather than flawed as we often assume.

Most importantly, we should not change for others or be bothered by their judgement of us. Real supporters do not make us feel negative or hurt.

Connecting spiritually and staying mindful are great ways to learn to love yourself. Check out this article for a view into my personal spiritual journey.

Another idea is to use daily affirmations or quotes to increase a healthy mindset and get a boost.

Just remember this is one method and shouldn’t be the only one used.

3) Keep a Balanced Mindset

As has been discussed regarding whole health, balance is key in all aspects of our health.

We were made to be balanced and staying balanced creates greater health.

Our mindset is no different.

Any extreme, whether it be from thoughts, emotions, or actions can create turmoil in our mindset.

Gaining and maintaining a balanced mindset is key for healthiness and wholeness. View the article on mental and emotional healing.

4) Create Present Moments (Be Mindful)

Mindfulness is a part of wellness that encompasses living focused and present each day.

Everyone can find ways to have a deeper connection to their overall being.

We should understand that present moments can be found all throughout the day for optimal growth.

It does take practice, and discipline to initiate, but can easily become a healthy habit that is relayed into many areas of life.

5) Recognize When Negative Thoughts Creep In

This concept is vital to wellness and a healthy mindset.

As was discussed, thoughts are the initial force that take place prior to emotions and actions.

When recognizing this, we must maintain a heightened awareness of the thoughts that are part of our mindset.

Although this is often misunderstood, we do have the capacity to control our thoughts and create a healthier outcome for wholeness. It is sometimes easier said than done but is possible.

If things are going well, thoughts are not usually an issue. It is when facing challenges, difficulties, and feeling overwhelmed that our thoughts create a barrier to our wellness.

 

These points about your mindset can create negativity instead of a healthy state of mind:

  • Lies floating around your mind, and you start to believe them
  • Thoughts that are creating waves and tossing you around
  • Getting caught in a loop of despair because of your thoughts
  • Thoughts that can frighten and even paralyze you.

 

On the contrary, here are some outlooks that you can use to counter negativity:

  • You were created for greatness, not mediocrity.
  • See yourself as capable, accomplished, and successful!
  • You have great power within.
  • While you cannot control all parts of your health, you can and should take steps to control your thoughts.

5 Habits for a Healthy Mindset

Creating a healthy mindset can be challenging—especially when things are hard—but staying armed with techniques to quickly overcome a negative mindset is important.

The following are methods to promote and maintain a good perspective.

1) Be Aware of the People You’re Around

We were made to be in relationship with others.

This idea is behind the social aspects that encompass much of our lives.

It is vital to choose wisely the people that we decide to associate with.

This readily contributes to our mindset health and often has a greater impact than we realize.

In a world where our actions are constantly on display, our relational situations have never created more of an impact.

We should continuously assess our relationships to help maintain increased health and wellness in our lives.

Too often we are simply trying to get ahead.

When attempting growth, only spend time around those people that are authentic and uplifting! Check out this article for multiple social activities for spending time together.

2) Know What You Can Control and What You Can’t

This is an important habit to maintain for a healthy mindset.

Many of us will admit that we can’t control everything, but when it comes down to it, we try anyway. It is important to realize the parts of our daily routine that are within our reach and those that aren’t.

One of the hardest to accept is that we cannot control other people.

The dynamics of interactions with people can cause a disrupted mindset. This is true whether we are in relationship or simply encounter others.

While these situations can be frustrating, realizing we aren’t in control of others can relieve us of some of the stressors that come with relationships.

You can see this article for a deeper look at our social interactions.

In addition, discouragements and general difficulties are often out of our control but how we react to them can be determined by us.

Remember our thoughts are something that we can control.

We can stay mindful to increase success and alleviate fears and other things that cause us to be ineffective.

3) Choose Optimism Instead of Positivity

We are too often taught and told to, “Be positive.”

This can create a difficult habit to overcome.

We should understand that we can take on life from an optimistic perspective rather than assume we should always stay positive.

The latter creates circumstances that make us feel like we fall short if we can’t stay positive.

An optimistic outlook promotes better movement, more opportunities to make a difference, and even recognizes greater abilities.

Don’t give up and never stop dreaming! How you look at something does matter!

4) Don’t Overthink Your Purpose

The main mindset here is to believe that you were placed on this earth to leave a mark. We all were.

Too often we get caught up in the cycle of assuming we should know all the answers and the sooner the better. We want to know “what” and “how?”

This mindset can create movement into spaces where we weren’t intended to be and can promote more difficulty in our lives.

We are driven by inspiration, even if it isn’t always obvious or detected. The first step of discovering true purpose is to identify your inner spark.

Then, take some time for discovery and fan that spark into a flame.

Keep in mind that timing is also important, but not always up to us. Be patient.

When one door closes, another door—or even multiple doors—open.

You cannot make it to where you belong if you are tempted to remain where you already are. Even small steps matter.

5) Do Something for Others

This concept is often misunderstood because we think it pertains to money or provision. It can be any type of contribution.

  • Compliments
  • Kind words
  • Money
  • Donated Items
  • Volunteering
  • Help a non-profit
  • Mentoring

 

People often assume volunteering means at a homeless shelter, with orphaned children, or several situations that may be uncomfortable to them.

However, a quick computer search shows numerous volunteer opportunities needed for skills such as website building, bookkeeping, preparing taxes, and many other situations that may seem more inviting.

In addition, non-profits need a variety of types of assistance.
If you don’t see something right away, always ask. Most non-profits will find a way for you to help.

Sharing what you have learned from past experiences is a way to give back. Mentoring others can greatly impact our world.

I like to express that giving back can be with money, time, or your talents. Everyone is different, so we can all find ways to give back.

Final Thoughts About Healthy Mindset

We have addressed the parts of our mindset to include thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Each one has an important role, and they can readily play off each other.

Understanding how to interpret our mindset is vital but so is realizing the importance of an optimistic perspective and healthy outlook.

By putting these things into action, you will have success gaining and maintaining an overall healthy mindset.

Other Articles You May Enjoy

Creating a Healthy Mindset (Not Your Typical List)

About the Author

Check Out More Wellness Articles: