12 Ways You Can Develop a Healthy Mindset

Health is not simply a state of physical well being, it also involves the emotional, psychological, mental, and spiritual well being of an individual.

And being unhealthy in any of those aspects leads to a reduction in the quality of life of the individual.

On the other hand, mindset refers to how an individual perceives life – their beliefs and assumptions. Mindset runs deep into the human psyche and cuts across the emotional, psychological, mental, and even spiritual aspects of that individual. 

That being said, a “healthy mindset” refers to a way of thinking that leads to growth and improvement of the life of the individual and those around them. Basically, a person with a healthy mindset exhibits attributes such as:

• Calmness
• Clarity
• Empathy
• Focus
• Determination
• Courage
• Hope

Makes sense, right? But how do you start to do this?

How to Cultivate a Healthy Mindset

The bad news is that the human mind is not designed to be positive, but rather to survive.

That's why we focus more on the bad news and end up dreading things that may never happen. It's the reason we may find it hard to trust a stranger and stick to harmful habits for the simple reason that “it feels good”. 

We are wired to sense pain and pleasure – so that we are drawn to pleasure and away from pain. And while this mindset was helpful when we were hunter-gatherers, it is no longer effective nor helpful – because we are no longer in daily danger from nature and animals.

Sometimes what is most beneficial might be painful, and what is toxic might be pleasurable. That is to say, if we stick only to our emotions, we can get in trouble. That is why to cultivate a healthy mindset, we must look beyond our emotions, and be more intentional about how we think, not just reacting to everything.

This transition beyond the world of emotions moves us away from survival mode, into a life of purpose, growth, and happiness. That is, a positive mindset can bring us happiness and fulfillment in life.

Considering all our actions spring from our thoughts, it is critical that our mindsets are healthy, as its effects permeate our physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and even financial health. 

12 Ways You Can Develop a Healthy Mindset

Know yourself.

There can be no growth if you don’t know who you are – your:

• strengths
• weaknesses
• likes
• dislikes
• hobbies
• talents

The first step in developing a healthy mindset is to know what that mind of yours is equipped for. This phase requires introspection and might be the most elusive of all the steps.

Accept yourself.

After knowing yourself, you must accept yourself.

You must be willing to accept your weaknesses and limitations. For example, you should be willing to accept that you may not be the richest, prettiest, or smartest person in the room. On the other hand, you must also accept that you are quite good and exceptional in other areas of your life.

Read books.

Life is too short to keep stumbling in obscurity.

Books are lamps and roadmaps given to you by your predecessors. Your task is to read and expand your awareness and knowledge. Books are perhaps the fastest way to upgrade your mindset.

Choose the people you spend time with.

Your mindset is an aggregate of the mindsets of those around you.

If you want to cultivate a healthy mindset, then you must have people with healthy mindsets around you. Or at least, no toxic people.

Control the things you consume.

From TV shows, movies, music, down to social media feeds, your mind is constantly being fed.

That is why you need to take charge of what you are feeding it. It is not just enough to look out for the PG rating, you also need to ensure that the content is not toxic to your mind.

Plan and stick to healthy routines.

We are creatures of habit.

We like routines, and it is activities that we perform consistently that get wired into our minds. Hence, you need to consciously pick your routines.

Exercise.

Working out helps to clear your mind – giving you clarity and perspective.

Meditate.

Meditation is a powerful tool that enables you to step outside your own thoughts and examine them.

Practicing meditation can help you become self-aware and help you identify deep seeded emotions, and then resolve them.

Challenge and rewrite unhealthy thoughts.

Most people have been unconsciously programmed by traumas, abuses, misinformation and other toxic experiences into believing and clinging to unhealthy and limiting beliefs.

You can hear it when they:

• complain about what they don’t want instead of asking for what they do want
• talk down on themselves
• see only obstacles and problems
• believe in scarcity rather than abundance

You should be ready to challenge such thoughts whenever they pop up, and also rewrite them using positive affirmations.

Practice positive affirmations.

Positive affirmation entails repeating kind and true words to yourself.

It involves reminding yourself who you truly are, and the potential you hold.

Let go of fear.

You can’t grow if you let fear stop you.

It is totally okay to be scared, but you must have the courage to let it go – to proceed even when the result is uncertain.

Learn from mistakes and failures.

Finally, rather than giving up when you encounter setbacks, it is crucial that you learn, strategize, and attack the challenges again.

The keyword here is “learn”, and the secret is to separate yourself from your mistakes and failures.

With these minor tweaks in approach and perspective, you are on your way to developing a healthy mindset.       

Editor's note: This article was originally published Jul 9, 2021 and has been updated to improve reader experience.

Photo by Emily Underworld on Unsplash