Mindset for Emotional and Mental Health
The events in your life, and experiences you have, coupled with what you believe to be true, shapes your life. But the way you interpret them directly influences your Mental health, Happiness, Self-esteem and Confidence.
Mindset plays a key part in how you approach things, your perspectives, and your emotional state. If your mindset is positive and upbeat you are more likely to try new things, find solutions to problems, and focus on what you want, but if your mindset is negative and downtrodden, you are more likely to say no to new ideas and experiences, highlight problems, and focus on what’s wrong. Equally, if you believe something is possible or is true you will approach it in a very different way to something you don’t believe, or think can be done.
Ingredients for a helpful mindset
Labelling mindset as ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ though, can bring up feelings of self-criticism and self-judgement. It’s not a good feeling to be telling yourself “Oh, I’m being negative again” is it? So, let’s think of it for now as what would be most ‘helpful’ about the way we think.
Beliefs
What you believe about yourself, others, or situations can be helpful, but it can also be debilitating. Many, if not most, people blindly accept their beliefs and the impact they have. When was the last time you checked that what you believe is true, and still helps you have the life and experiences you want?
Here’s some simple examples of statements of belief that have an unhelpful impact:
I can’t do that
I lack confidence – always have
Struggling with my bills is just the way it is, I’m never going to be well off
Ask yourself if the beliefs you formed as a child are still right for you as an adult. Do they still help you to succeed and be happy? Perhaps you have some adult beliefs that could do with an upgrade too? Is the reason you have them, or evidence you used to form them, still valid?
Having a set of beliefs that are helpful and that support you is fundamental to a helpful mindset and strong emotional and mental health. It is so central to your wellbeing and success that we have dedicated a book for beliefs in our Programme Library.
Are you a Victim or Victor?
You can't control what happens in life, but you can control whether you experience what happens as a victim or as a victor.
A victim will tend to blame others or external factors for their experience, while a victor will look to themselves. Someone with a victim mentality will say “Look what others have done to me.” On the other hand, someone with a victor mentality will engage differently and try to change the situation by looking for what they can do about it themselves.
These differing perspectives fundamentally change the experiences you have. One focuses on a position of suffering, while the other on a position of growth and influence. As Jim Carrey has often said:
You can't control what happens in life, but you can control whether you experience what happens as a victim or as a victor.
A victim will tend to blame others or external factors for their experience, while a victor will look to themselves. Someone with a victim mentality will say “Look what others have done to me.” On the other hand, someone with a victor mentality will engage differently and try to change the situation by looking for what they can do about it themselves.
These differing perspectives fundamentally change the experiences you have. One focuses on a position of suffering, while the other on a position of growth and influence. As Jim Carrey has often said:
"Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you"
Two people can be at the same event but the way they recall the event, the way they talk about it, and the way they think about it can be fundamentally different.
Two employees with the same skill and experience can be asked to do something, or asked to explain what happened, the response they give can be fundamentally different.
Do you approach life as a Victim or a Victor? Take a look at our Victim Victor Mindset comparisions.
Gratitude
Practicing gratitude contributes to higher well-being and happiness, whilst also reducing symptoms of depression. It increases self-esteem, enhances resilience, and gives an advantage in overcoming trauma. All of which help you to bounce back from highly stressful situations.
Introducing a daily gratitude routine helps you to maintain a grateful mindset and an upbeat outlook.
Take a look at our help tips for Practicing Gratitude.
If you are in difficulty or crisis
Sometimes life can prove just too much, and when this happens it’s important to reach out for the help and support needed to get through. You don’t need to tough it out or go it alone.
Whether you're concerned about yourself or a loved one, the mental health charities, organisations and support groups accessed via this link can offer expert advice.
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