Are you ready for some real talk about the importance of mindset and your health?
The importance of mindset is rarely spoken about related to health goals. Yet, as you will learn, what you think about, you bring about. Get ready to dive into how your mindset can move you closer to the health you have been dreaming about.
This post is about the Importance of Mindset and Your Health.
Are you ready for the Importance of Mindset?
Upon typing the word mindset into google, Carol Dweck is the most searched mindset expert. She is the author of the bestselling book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2016, Ballantine Books). Her research has shown the view you hold for yourself massively impacts the way you lead your life. What does that mean?
Well, grab your lifejacket! This adventure includes definitions, how your mindset can shift you closer or farther away from your desired health goal, and simple steps to get started toward your new mindset.
Importance of Mindset
What is mindset?
The word mindset was first known to be used in 1909. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, mindset is a mental attitude or inclination. Furthermore, mindset is a fixed state of mind. To me, a visual of gears, properly turning at a constant rate, pops into my mind. This constant turning could be creating a positive mental attitude or a negative one. Thus, understanding the importance of mindset is critical for growth.
Mindset Examples
Fixed or Scarcity
Interestingly, Carol Dweck reports an individual with a fixed mindset believes her qualities are carved in stone. This type of mindset creates an urgency to prove yourself repeatedly. The all-consuming goal is to prove yourself in health, relationships, career, and life. And then a massive snowball of feeling “not enough” emerges.
Maybe scarcity is more relatable than fixed. I’m not an expert, but I’m predicting every woman reading this post has experienced the “not enough” mindset. This problem churns in your mind (visualize the gears), affects your self-image and self-esteem, which in turn lowers your energy, probably causes mood swings, and challenges your gut health and immune system.
The all-consuming goal to prove myself has been front and center throughout my childhood, college years, early adult years, and motherhood. My core belief has always been “not enough,” without me even knowing or understanding. And then, I was exposed to something different and I learned about the importance of mindset and health.
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Growth or Abundant
On the flip side, an individual with a growth mindset holds a belief that change and growth are possible for anyone. With a growth mindset, the world is a playground and you can create what you truly desire.
Living life from an abundant mindset equates to less hustle and less proving yourself. How does that make you feel? Maybe you let out a sigh of relief, I know I did. When I learned more about changing my core belief from “not enough” to “enough and worthy,” the outside validation has slowly shaken from my core. However, although the process has been refreshing, it sure has been slow.
Carol Dweck asks this question that may assist you in transitioning to a different way of thinking. “Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better?” What if you stopped proving and started enjoying the journey?
Can the importance of mindset move you closer to the health you desire?
Law of Focus
In 2019, Rod Hairston introduced me to the Law of Focus. The Law of Focus States;
- What you focus on, you will find.
- What you focus on will grow.
- What you focus on will seem real.
- What you focus on you become.
You can use this law to transform your health, through your mindset! Stay with me for a minute, we are headed inside your mind. You will need a few supplies: a thinking cap, some waders, and a net to catch every piece of information. These next paragraphs contain some pretty intense information. However, they may be exactly what you need to shift your mindset and health.
Your Identity
First, put on your thinking cap. You have a desire to be more fit. Currently, as you read these words, your identity already knows IF you are the type of person to move your body and be more fit. Your identity is the strongest force in human nature to stay consistent with who you are. So, right now, do you move for 15 minutes daily? Do you exercise for 30 minutes every day, no matter what? Is it more accurate to say you move your body three days a week? Or if you were being truly honest, would you say you move your body when the feeling is just right?
Your Conscious Mind
Second, pull on your waders, we are going deeper! Your conscious mind is large and in charge. In other words, it’s making the decisions! It pours energy into evaluating and deciding if you will move your body or it will justify why you should take the day off. In addition, your emotions become involved. How are you feeling about moving your body? What’s your energy level like? What’s happening with the weather? Your emotions are like a ping pong ball and every action you take or don’t take creates a feeling.
Your Imagination & Unconscious Mind
Finally, grab your net because it is going to come in handy as you begin to understand the power of your imagination! Your imagination is the most powerful tool in the universe. Your imagination allows you to create your health, your conscious mind sees the images, and your unconscious mind is the programming and memories over a lifetime.
Putting it All Together
It’s summer and your health goal is to run a 5k. Unfortunately, the winter was spent on the couch and it’s difficult to remember the last time you truly took the time to move.
Your identity, which is certain about who you are, currently relates your movement routine to sitting on the couch! Your identity and unconscious mind know every memory! Let that sink in for a minute. Every single memory is etched into your identity and unconscious mind.
Your identity goes on a scavenger hunt, looking for consistent memories of running. It remembers your first track meet in 8th grade and sees you crossing the finish line of your very first 5k, during your college years. Your identity remembers the laughter and cold beer at every post-race party! The memory of comparison is part of your identity also. When you began comparing yourself to faster runners and gave up on your running goals; that also created a groove in your mind. It can’t find any more running memories once you threw your trainers in the back of your closet.
You start the couch to 5k training program without an understanding of the importance of mindset! With excitement and determination, your goal is fresh in your mind. New running shoes and the perfect outfit have you feeling like a first-place finisher.
The heat and humidity strike within a couple of weeks of training. Furthermore, your muscles are feeling extremely sore. The newness and fun have melted away! Uncertainty has arrived! Consequently, your unconscious mind calls your imagination, which unfortunately did not create a vivid picture of your 5k finish.
Your conscious mind sees the memories of the past: running, comparing, and giving up. You feel defeated and your conscious mind justifies all of the reasons why you should ditch the shoes again!
Simple Steps to Move Closer to your Health Goal
This process is simple, yet it takes time. As I look back at my journey, Rod Hairston planted the seed for mindset changes. Each year, another book, podcast, or event helped me shift a little more toward understanding the importance of mindset and health. I am still traveling the journey! Experiment with one small goal, go all-in with it, and have fun! It’s a lifetime journey!
Creating a New Mindset
1. What do you want for your health?
Get very clear on what you want. The more specific and clear, the easier for your imagination and conscious mind to create it for you.
- An unclear goal – to finish a 5k race
- A clear goal – to run and finish a 5k race this summer
2. Set the timer for five minutes!
Close your eyes. See yourself laying out your running gear, hear the alarm go off, and feel the sweat on your brow. Create moving pictures of running a one-mile loop, a two-mile loop, and finally the 3.1-mile training run.
Feel it. Focus on the feelings you want to feel. When someone asks you, “How do you feel going from the couch to finishing a 5k?” how will you respond? Place your hands on your heart. Breathe deeply. And feel that!
3. Create a meaningful affirmation around your health goal.
Because it is impossible to hold a negative and positive thought at the same time, a mentor taught me to begin my affirmations with “I’m so happy and grateful.” Happy and grateful are two words that help shift you immediately. Then, focus on what you want and will receive.
“I’m so happy and grateful for health and strength flowing to me every time I breathe in and out.” “I’m so happy and grateful every muscle in my body is strong and I am as light as a feather, every step.” Repeat these every moment you can, especially during training runs. Something will shift and when you cross the finish line, it be will everything you saw in your mind.
Every time you see, write, type, and read your goal and affirmation, it becomes your focus. As a result, what you focus on, you become. Your identity changes and you become a person who runs and finishes 5k races. More importantly, your trainers never get lost in the back of your closet again!
Although you had to wade in the water to learn some deep information about the mind, simple steps are available to shift your identity and become the healthiest version of yourself. If you find yourself struggling with the simple steps, connect with me through social media, and let’s brainstorm together!
This post was all about the Importance of Mindset and Your Health.
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