As human beings, we crave a life of satisfaction, and for some, that’s enough. But what if you could reach a point in life where you feel fulfillment in every aspect and overwhelming happiness? A mindset where you don’t resort to negative thought patterns in times of stress. Creating a happy life for yourself is dependent on your perspective. For some people, the mindset comes naturally, and for others, not so much. The good news is that every person can shift their thinking to achieve a perspective where they feel fulfilled in every aspect.  

The Four Steps to Shifting Your Mindset: 

1. Find the positives in every situation, good or bad. 
2. Incorporate self-awareness and reflection into your thoughts. 
3. Live in the present. 
4. Practice gratitude daily. 

 

Becoming a Positive Person 

To get to a place where you can see the positives in even the most stressful situations, you must train your mind. Life is inevitably going to be stressful at times, but how you choose to respond will help shape your thinking. Here are some examples; let’s say you got a job, but it’s not ideal. Instead of resorting to getting down on yourself, think it’s one step ahead on your career path. Or it’s taking a little too long for the waiter to bring out your food at the restaurant. Instead of choosing to get frustrated, appreciate the quality time you spend with the people you are with. By using self-awareness, you can uncover what is in your habitual way of thinking that is causing the root of your unhappiness and negative energy. Once you can identify the core issues, we can curate new habits and will grow you into the person you want to be. 

 

Self-Awareness and Reflection 

The ability to be self-aware is a powerful tool for supporting your mental health. It encourages you to introspect and understand your actions and their effects. Utilizing this tool can give you a clear perception of your behaviors, the causes of your actions, the dynamics of your relationships, etc. It also allows you to see what areas of yourself need growth. 

  

Incorporating self-awareness into your daily routine is essentially self-care for the mind! For this reason, you should choose to do your reflection when you have a quiet space and can think with no distractions. For example, try writing out your morning and night routines and implement five minutes for reflection. In this time, you will introspect and think about how you can go into the day with a great mindset and end each day with personal growth. 

 

Examples of Things to Think About in Your Morning Reflection: 

• What would make today great? 
• Am I starting the day with a positive attitude? If not, how can I redirect to a positive mindset? 
• How will I handle any obstacles or stress that I may experience today? 

  

Examples of Things to Think About in Your Night Reflection: 

• What were the highlights of my day? 
• Are there any lessons I can take from today? 
• How did I handle any stress points of my day? 
• What am I proud of myself for? 

If you are just beginning to implement reflection into your life, you must give it time to become a habit and second nature. Remember, it takes about two weeks of consistency for a habit to form. After you begin with just morning and night reflections, eventually, it will become natural to use self-reflection throughout the day.  

 

Live in the Present. 

Happiness looks different for every person. Maybe you picture yourself being happy when you reach a specific financial goal, land a dream job, or hit a significant milestone in your life. However, the key to living fully in the present is to understand that you will never be satisfied if you constantly wait for the future. This doesn’t mean you can’t get excited about what’s ahead, but rather you will get more fulfillment when focusing on the joys that come from your daily routines. As the famous saying goes, “life is short,” and you will never truly be able to get the most out of life without fully immersing yourself in your day-to-day activities. Try finding something big or small to appreciate daily. If you don’t have things that excite you in your routine, find those activities that will bring that feeling. 

 

Practice Gratitude. 

Gratitude is a significant component in feeling joy and appreciation for your life. It is essentially writing down positive things that are happening in your life and putting out ideas that you would like to happen to you. Gratitude allows you to consciously reflect in a high vibrational state of mind encouraging your thought patterns to be naturally optimistic. This is one of the most important things you can do to suppress anxious and depressive thoughts. 

Gratitude Prompt Examples: 

• Two things I’m grateful for… 
• One thing I am looking forward to today… 
• One thing I am excited to work on today… 

 

Treatment at Harmony Bay Wellness 

If you are going through mental health struggles that make finding happiness impossible for you to do alone, it’s time to reach out for help. Harmony Bay offers a therapy treatment for depression and anxiety. Our licensed therapists or psychiatrist will create individualized treatment plans to help you work through your mental health struggles. Reach out to Harmony Bay for mental health treatment today. Contact us today at 855.857.6050. 

 

Published on 12/9/2022 | Written by Harmony Bay