10 Positive Habits That Will Help Change Your Mindset

When we think of habits, they're typically labelled as something bad and something that you always try to put a stop to but you just can't. So why not turn those bad habits into positive habits? Habits that you know are healthy for you, that will make a difference to your overall well being and you can continue using on a daily basis. They will help promote better mental health, improve your self care and will be able to rely on them even through the darkest days. 

Here are 10 Positive Habits That Will Help Change Your Mindset:

1. Gratitude - Practicing gratitude every single day is super important and is a really easy habit to pick up. Either when you first wake up or before you go to sleep at night, think of five things you're grateful to be waking up to or something really positive that happened that day, no matter how big or small! You could even create your own Gratitude Journal to look back on and keep noting things down each day. Having gratitude will help you to focus on the good even on bad days. It also helps to create a balance in your life. You'll soon be able to notice how your attitude changes when you practice this daily, since you're essentially training your brain to see the good in things, helping you to become more happier and successful.

2. Reframe challenges - This is something I do every day and I find it definitely does help my over anxious mind think clearer. Remind yourself that somethings in life we unfortunately don't have any control over. So it is best that we work through them in a logical manner, to ensure we deal with whatever it is we're facing the best possible way. Don't hide away from any difficult challenges. Embrace them and learn from them. This will help you to grow and flourish. 

3. Switch those negatives words for more positive ones - Speaking negatively about ourselves or our lives can really knock our self esteem and the amount of enjoyment we can get out of our lives. Changing how you perceive yourself and your life will help change the way your mind and body feels. Instead of feeling sluggish, bored and tired because all those negative words you've said about yourself and your life, you'll feel energetic and optimistic because you've praised yourself and been able to see your life in a whole different light. Try it and see what happens!

4. Remember to breathe - I know it sounds completely silly, because if you weren't breathing, then you wouldn't be sat here reading this. But when we're under stress, upset or anxious, our breathing alters depending on the emotions we're feeling. This will also cause your body to feel other symptoms. During harder moments, remember to check in with how you're breathing and to see how you feel inside your body. Take a deep breathe in for a few seconds and then back out again. Repeat again until you feel all that tension disappear.

5. Be kind to others - Being kind to others is something that we should all do daily anyway. But there's really simple things you can do to be kinder to other people. Do something that will make someone smile or even make their day. This could just be as small as holding the door open for someone or reaching on the top shelf for someone. Seeing the impact of your small act of kindness on another person either through their expression or attitude can also help to make you feel good too.

6. Manage your emotions - Managing your emotions is very healthy for you. When things get tough, it can be hard to make sense of the way we feel and we can forget to think about what the best course of actions are when reacting to whatever obstacle has come in our way. Stopping and thinking before we act is so important. When we're dealing with high emotions, we can sometimes act without putting much thought into it and the consequences can sometimes be worse. We might upset others, dig ourselves into deeper holes or make ourselves more angry or upset. Instead notice how you're feeling and why you are, then rethink how you could go about the situation without making things worse. Sometimes it can be good to walk away from the situation for a moment, to catch your breathe or asking a friend for some advice.

7. Start your day in a good mood - I wrote a post not too long ago about starting your morning off in a positive way and expressing the importance of it. But trying to be positive and in the best mood possible for whatever you have planned for the day is crucial to maintaining a good mindset. Try waking up early to prevent you from having to rush, have a healthy nutritious breakfast and a glass of water, listen to your favourite songs when getting ready, make a to do list so you know what you've got to focus on today and look try your best to forward to the day ahead.

8. Don't fear making mistakes - Fear is the biggest confidence and mood killer. It creates a lack of self confidence and ruins your well being. Making mistakes is completely ok and a natural human thing to do. Don't let them become something you try to avoid at all costs. Mistakes help us to grow and they strengthen us. They ensure we can learn from them and do something better or different next time we're faced with a similiar situation. Embrace them. 

9. Be creative - Being creative is another thing that can be practised daily, no matter how big or small, it can be achieved. Also do it consistently to build on your skill set. This might be through writing, taking photographs, drawing, painting, playing a musical instrument, learning a new skill or gathering new ideas together. Learn something new each day and improve on your skills. Perhaps you could take on a new project, like a scrapbook of your latest travels or upholstering a piece of furniture. Being creative brings new opportunities too.

10. Embrace change - This is where fear comes into play again. No one likes change, particularly if it's something we associate with being bad. But change is quite essentially a good thing. The world is constantly changing. The people around us are changing. Ourselves as individuals are changing. This is how we grow as people and develop more effective ways of thinking. Our view on ourselves and the world changes along with it. If you keep getting stuck in the same place with no change, you can't work towards a brighter future. Remember that change can be an exciting thing.

What positive habits do you have?

Lauren x