A healthy mindset isn’t just about focusing on healthy foods. On the long and curvy road to living a healthy lifestyle, our mental and emotional well-being play an equally large role in a best lived life. How we care for our feelings and how we grow our minds play a huge part in how treat our bodies. It’s not easy, especially those of us who have struggled with weight for much of our lives. That consistent struggle can really do a number on our mindset, and it can be difficult to know how to climb out of that. It takes compassion, something that many of us neglect to show ourselves, and it takes practice. Below are some small, and not so small, steps you can take to build a healthier mindset.
Practice gratitude. I think we all know this, but it doesn’t mean that it’s easy. When we’re in a struggle with our weight, when life keeps throwing us punches of any kind, it’s hard to remember to practice gratitude. But it works. What we think about most expands. It changes our brain chemistry. Grateful thoughts signal production of chemicals that make us happy. So daily gratitude is an important part of a healthy mindset. Click HERE for a free 30 day gratitude journal.
Treat your body well. Take care in what you put in it, how you move it, and do these in a way that creates balance in your life.
Accept what is. This can be a hard one. It doesn’t mean that we have to love what is, it doesn’t mean that we don’t want to change what is, but if we can accept it, whatever it is, there is peace. And where there is peace, there is room for growth.
Let go of what was. You cannot change the past. In weight loss, you may never have the same body you once did. Holding on to it only keeps you stuck there. You can’t live both in the past and in the present, so try to make peace with what was, so you can stay firmly grounded in what is now.
Use failures to grow. None of us gets it right every time. Failing is the First Attempt In Learning. Use these setbacks to learn about yourself and what you can take with you into the future. We can’t grow if we stay fixed on the mistake.
Reflect. The ability to reflect is a key piece of being human. Examine and reflect with curiosity instead of judgment to allow you to grow mentally and emotionally. This allows us to find our purpose and create our goals.
Avoid comparison. This can be a significant obstacle for some. When we compare ourselves to others, when we compare our personal journeys to others, we are looking outward instead of looking inward. And there is nothing looking outward can do to help us grow. Keep focusing on your journey, your progress, your path.
Express your feelings. This can be uncomfortable for a lot of us. We either weren’t raised to express our emotions or we may have even received the message growing up that our feelings weren’t important. So we bottle them up. But we all have feelings. They are a beautiful part of what makes us human. If expressing them to others is too far out of your comfort zone, express them on paper or in front of a mirror. Take up a creative hobby to move those feelings from inside to outside of yourself. Your feelings matter, and being able to express them in some way helps us grow.
Believe in yourself. This is the biggest obstacle to success in weight loss or in anything. We have to believe we can, we will, we are worthy, and we have value. When we believe, there is nothing that can hold us back. Obstacles are simply temporary, because our mindset seeks growth to give evidence to those beliefs. If we don’t believe in ourselves, we’ll prove it to be true, but when we DO believe, we’ll prove that to be true as well.
Surround yourself with people who have a positive impact on your mindset. A healthy mindset is both radiant and reflective, so choose a tribe of friends that allow you to soak in the joy, the peace, the goals that you want for yourself. You’ll be radiating that healthy mindset right back to them, as you all support one another.
Never stop growing. Look for opportunities to grow personally. Enroll in a seminar, take a class, join a group of like-minded people. Always be open for ways to enhance your life and its purpose.
A healthy mindset is an ongoing journey rooted in self-love and compassion. Be kind to you. Be consistent in your efforts, and be honest with yourself. We are each a masterpiece in progress.
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