Reset Your Mindset for Better Health

How are you doing with healthy habits? Are you finding it easy to make good choices or are things a bit of a challenge right now?

You can reboot your mindset anytime and shift into healthier habits. I’m here to help!

Here are 5 tips to RESET YOUR MINDSET for better health:

#1 Give Yourself Some Grace and Space

Life happens and can bring on real stress and complexity. No matter how focused you are, real life often leads you to make choices that are not always aligned with your health goals.

But here’s the thing to remember about goals: they are meant to be a guidepost that you are looking forward to reaching.

Goals are not meant to be looming images taunting you. Goals are a way to anchor your progress and motivate you to take action.

If you made goals at the start of the year and are struggling to get in gear to reach them, cut yourself some slack and see how it feels to look at things in smaller pieces. By chunking a big goal down into smaller steps, you may find that you can breathe easier and have less stress about it.

For example, if you still don’t fit into the designer jeans you purchased for your reward for reaching your goal weight by April (big goal), put those jeans away for a while and reassess your game plan: map out an extra day per week to fit in a walk, or consider how you could add a little intensity or five extra minutes to your current workouts; reevaluate your eating habits and any changes you were resistant to before that you might consider incorporating now; look at other areas of your life that might need improvement and are hindering your weight loss efforts, like lack of sleep or rest.

There are always many factors involved in achieving a goal, providing you many avenues to focus on at different times and seasons of life. So, gently reevaluate your progress, see where you need to offer yourself grace, and consider how you can open up a little more space for your success.

You might enjoy using my “Wellness Inventory and Goal Setting Worksheet” for this.

#2 Gratitude Check-In

Even on the worst days, I bet you can find one thing that is a blessing in your life. In fact, when you start to REALLY think about how things are going, you may find that your list is longer than you expected.

Doing a gratitude check-In can help you get grounded in the good things that are part of your life.

Did you get out in the fresh air this week? Is your morning coffee or tea amazing? Did a full moon light up your porch? Do your yoga pants hug you just right? Do you have a friend to call on when you need her?

Gratitude lists do not have to be about BIG things. In fact, it’s often the little things that help us get through the day, isn’t it?

Gratitude has researched health benefits. A gratitude/mindfulness practice can ease stress perception, lower cortisol (a stress hormone), improve sleep and ease digestive upset.

If you can, before you leave your bed every morning take one minute to think of three things you are grateful for. (Bonus points if you start an ongoing list in a journal.)

You might think this will become repetitive, and truthfully it could. It doesn’t matter. I often repeat my expressions of gratitude for my family, our life on the water, and the safety of our sailboat home.

I will also challenge you to practice this two more times each day–once in the middle of the day and again a night. (Bonus points here if you share your thankfulness with someone or even invite them to join you in thanksgiving.) This is a great way to recap the day at bedtime with children.

#3 Clear Mental Clutter

Ditch the stinking thinking. It creates monkey mind and pulls you off track. This is often a sign that you are trying to do too much at one time or some things on your list are not reasonable.

In the same way that physical clutter can make a space feel chaotic, mental clutter can create a sense of anxiety, panic or unrest.

Using mindfulness exercises to stay present, or setting aside a little time for daily stillness and meditation can help you brush out the cobwebs and dust bunnies and organize the files in your mind.

I wrote an entire blog post on simple mindfulness and meditation practices that will help you get started.

#4 Take a Break from Social Media

You are a completely amazingly unique being who is beyond compare. Stop seeking validation from social media if you find yourself there. No amount of likes, follows and shares will equal an ounce of your innate self-worth.

By comparing yourself to others on social media and/or seeking validation there, you can really stress yourself out and trigger a cascade of physical and mental harm. Social stress is a leading cause of anxiety and depression.

To reset your mindset here, detach the worth of yourself or your business or home from the social interaction or responses.

You are ALWAYS of value. Your home, business or new haircut may be incredible, too, but the audience and reactions on social may not reflect the truth.

Sometimes it can help to log off or limit social media time so you have less exposure to distractions that can discourage, de-motivate or make you feel off course. Try a one-day or weekend detox. At least give yourself some time each day free from the pings.

Need something else to do besides scroll social media, something more uplifting and indulgent? Take my 4-week online course RENEW and discover simple and easy-to-implement solutions to dramatically REDUCE STRESS, IMPROVE YOUR MOOD, and BALANCE YOUR BODY AND SPIRIT in just minutes per day.  

#5 Reframe Your Game

Some people will tell you to “just think positive”, and while that can help to shift you out of a funk, it’s not always realistic.

Instead, the next time you are ruminating about missing a target goal or flubbing up, see how it feels to reframe the issue and flip the script.

For example, if you’re trying to lose weight and have been dialing in your nutrition, but you ate two slices of pie last night, you might be saying mean things to yourself. Instead, say something like, “I am so fortunate that I can respond to my needs and nourish my body with flexibility and understanding.”

When you flip or reframe negative responses, you empower your mind with a positive alternative that does not trigger the release of cortisol and add to your stress. You also flex your resilience “muscle”, and over time you will appreciate your ability to shift effortlessly as your needs change.

This article will help you master reframing and mindset shifts: “Setting ANCHOR: A Method to Manage Reactivity and Mindset in the Midst of Chaos and Uncertainty”.

What tips and strategies do you use for mindset? Share in the comments below and let’s collaborate to make mindset and healthy habits easier all around!

If you need more support with making over your mindset you can reach out HERE. I’ve worked hard to master mindset and would love to help you out.