The Shift: How Small Moves Can Greatly Change Our Mindset

There is a saying: “Where the mind goes, the man follows.”

So much of our healthy living journey focuses on physical aspects. We think about the food we are eating and the exercise that we are doing, but what about how we are thinking? Why do we tend to neglect our mental health in this journey? One thing is for sure, if your mindset about your health is negative, chances are you will struggle.

Positive mindsets can get you through the days that the scale won’t budge or things seem to be going wrong. They will help you to have long-term success rather than the effects of self-loathing. Our mind is a very strong influence on the rest of our body, so how we use it matters.

This all sounds very cliché to many. Yes, being positive is great, but many days don’t feel warm and fuzzy. How can you have a positive mindset when there are stresses in life? It comes down to perspective.

Just recently, I felt burned out by my circumstances. I started a new full-time job a few months ago where I have to learn a lot of information. I am a mom, stepmom, and wife, so navigating schedules, back-to-school, homework, dinner, etc. can get tiresome. I also was dealing with some personal things from the past. It was a perfect storm of negative thinking.

I started to physically see changes because of this. I was more tired, eating more sugar, my skin started to break out, and my anxiety skyrocketed. Suddenly, I became more insecure, and I didn’t want to do the things that made me happy. I kept telling myself that I was stressed out, and I kept dwelling on the negative.

Then, one day, I was going to pick up diapers for women who live in the domestic violence shelter that I fundraise for. It hit me in a moment. I am doing the work that I have longed to do since I myself went through domestic violence. I am being paid to help people who are walking in the same shoes that I did. My perspective shifted, and it changed everything.

I am not saying that you ignore your pain or grief. You need to have moments of processing what you have been through. It’s okay to not always be okay. This is more about the way you look at circumstances. You can have the same situation occur but from different perspectives. Those perspectives can play a pivotal role in our health journey.

For example, I can look at my body and say that I will love myself when I get to a certain weight. That will most likely lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment if setbacks occur. Or I can say that I will love myself where I am in the moment even before I lose the weight. Some may be scared which could lead to contentment and staying where you are, but if you love yourself, you realize that you deserve the best. Suddenly, weight loss is more what you feel like you deserve rather than the only path to self-love because you love yourself enough to know that you are worthy of living your best life. It’s all about perspective. 

So, how can you create that shift in your mindset? It starts by celebrating where you are at the very moment. If you are taking any steps to have a healthy life, that should be celebrated! It’s great to have a vision and goals for your future but take a moment to enjoy where you are right now. You may not be where you ultimately want to be, but you aren’t where you used to be, and that is progress. 

Second, on the days that you may have some negative mindsets, survey your situation. Are you hormonal or overly tired? Is something triggering a past trauma? Sometimes, thoughts manifest because of other situations that have nothing to do with our health journey, but they can creep in if we don’t deal with the underlying issue. We may also just be having a hard day, and we can give ourselves grace in those moments. 

Lastly, assess what goes on in your mind and become intentional in stopping negative thoughts immediately before they fester and grow. If you have something run through your head, replace it with something good. Practicing that makes it eventually become a habit. Just like exercise, if we aren’t consistent, we begin to fall off the wagon. The more we do something, the more it becomes our normal.

Positive mindsets are crucial to your progress in your health journey. Overhauling your thoughts doesn’t have to be a difficult process. It starts with a shift in perspective, and it can change your life.