HOW you approach the world can have a huge influence on your day-to-day mental wellbeing.
It’s all about mindset, says Larry Meyler, author of new book The Mindset Handset: Little Nuggets for a Mental Evolution.
He argues that “the mindset we create determines how we live” – and that in turn can bolster our mental wellbeing.
In the book, Larry shares his mindset journey, the tools he’s gained over the past few years and explains how they’ve had an impact on his mental health.
If you are struggling with a mental health condition, or are feeling low and are worried about it, always speak to your GP.
Here, Larry shares three steps you can start taking today to help turbocharge your mindset…
1. Use visualisation
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What pictures you paint in your mind when it comes to your mental health are hugely important in how you view it and experience it.
Depression, anxiety and all their cronies are usually summed up by using bleak descriptions and metaphors, and that’s useful and needed in particular moments and in expressing how bad we feel and how it affects us.
But, if all we use and see are those dark visualisations, then how can we ever let the light and colour in?
When it comes to my mental health visualisations, one I’ve created is where I decide to see my mind as a movie set and the visuals on camera are my thoughts.
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I sit in that director’s chair and take control of the production.
The more I move away from the haunting and heavy visualisations, the more colour and vibrancy I can let in, and in turn, the lighter it becomes and more in control I feel.
Remember, you are the director of your focus and your visualisations, so make as many as you like, but don’t accept that they must be dark and dismal.
Create them with excitement, then pull back that curtain and be proud to let your blockbuster shine bright.
2. Swap your negative words for positive ones
Just like visualisations, the words we feed ourselves each day, the narrative we create, and the stories we tell ourselves determine how we feel about ourselves.
If you tell yourself you’re not worthy, then you’ll start your day feeling fearful and frustrated.
If you tell yourself that you won’t accept this mental torture and that do have determination inside of you and you’re gonna fuel it, then you’ll face the day with dedication and like a badass.
Simply summarised, if you constantly repeat negative and degrading words and phrases to yourself, then you’ll feel like sh*t.
If you continually swap those for encouraging and empowering words and phrases, then you’ll start and go through the day with a more positive intention and with some fire in your belly.
When you’re stuck in a negative mindset rut, think of it like this. Stop and swap!
For example:
- Inspiration over comparison
- Self-love over self-loathing
- Contentment over perfection
- Courage over hopelessness
- Bravery over bitterness
- Gratitude of jealousy
- Focus over fears
- Action over rumination
- Determination over shame
3. Stop beating yourself up
This habit can stem from childhood, from our mistakes, or from shame or guilt imposed on us from peers, parents, society, or even ourselves.
No matter how hard we work on our mental health to progress and evolve, the reality is there’s gonna be days where things don’t go to plan, where we unintentionally mess up, where we falter and fall down.
It’s in these moments when the guilt gremlins in our head will attack and try to break open the dam of anxiety to let negativity, shame and self-loathing flood our minds.
We have to remind ourselves that to make a mistake is part of the process, and it’s also where we have to make a choice.
We can choose to take a lesson and continue to build on all that we’ve learned so far.
We can see it as knowledge gained and use it as a chance to pause in our journey to breathe and reset.
Or, it’s where we can succumb to our mental ailments and crumble, where we choose to see it as going backwards, and where we throw our focus away and give up.
To swing the wrecking ball back onto your demons' faces, you have to become the louder voice in your head and remind yourself that you will learn more from your mistakes than you ever will your successes.
So, instead of laying down and being trampled all over by those demons, stand up tall and add the lessons from every mistake and every crappy day into your toolbox.
Then despite what your fears and anxieties try to tell you, next time you’ll be able to use that knowledge and be able to navigate through these murky moments with more clarity and more confidence in your abilities. Be the louder voice!
Forget what anyone else thinks and put celebrating your grit, your bravery and your courage to keep going, over the waste of time that is beating yourself up.
Remember, mindset is a journey
It takes time, practice, and hard work, but don’t view changing it as an impossible enormity. Hell no!
It’s the little steps and lessons that build up your mindset.
Instil in yourself the fact that YOU control your focus, and YOU paint the picture.
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Forgive yourself and give your life and your unique journey the chance it deserves.
It’s all gravy and you got this baby!
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