It can seem like the way your mind works is out of your hands sometimes. You may have unconscious or intrusive thoughts that go against your typical behavior, or you can make an unfair snap judgment when you meet someone new. While you can’t control your thoughts as they occur, you can learn to manage and readjust them. A mindset shift refers to changing your way of thinking about a situation or part of your life by rearranging your mental framework for a more positive attitude.

With the right mindset changes, you can take control of your mental health and work toward becoming the best version of yourself. Examples of a mindset shift include:

• Looking for the “silver lining” in a situation
• Finding learning opportunities in a negative situation or mistake
• Embracing a challenge that may seem scary but provides a growth opportunity

Shifting your mindset can help improve your mental well-being in the following ways:

• Increasing your confidence

The confidence boost you can gain from a mindset shift can raise your self-esteem and help you establish a strong sense of self. Through a positive mindset shift, you can recognize your own strengths and capabilities for handling difficult situations. This can give you the confidence to take on challenges, be open to new experiences and build resilience against life’s roadblocks.

• Developing the ability to handle criticism 

Nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. That’s OK. However, it’s important to not let negative feedback and criticism, especially when it’s constructive criticism, of your mistakes become overwhelming. Dwelling and ruminating on comments made by others can cause significant mental and emotional distress. 

A mindset shift can help you learn how to process criticism by either brushing off unhelpful comments or taking helpful comments as a way to improve in the future. Instead of taking any criticism as a personal attack, a mindset shift can help you use it to grow both personally and professionally. 

• Improving your problem-solving skills

Problems — from a misunderstanding with your significant other to a difference in opinion about how a work project should be approached — are bound to occur in your everyday life. A mindset shift can improve your ability to effectively address and solve problems by allowing you to focus on the solution, not the issue and its complications. This can also encourage you to seek opportunities for improvement, which can boost your awareness of potential issues.

• Improving your emotional communication skills

When you make a goal to shift your mindset into a more positive, productive way of thinking, you’re also adjusting how you communicate with the people around you. Your ability to recognize that you need a change means that you’re aware of your strengths and weaknesses, such as how you communicate your feelings, and how you handle the feelings of others.

A mindset shift boosts your emotional communication skills by:

• Encouraging empathy for different perspectives
• Focusing on active listening
• Setting boundaries and respecting the boundaries of others
• Decreasing depression and anxiety symptoms

Even though everyone experiences mental health challenges sometimes that can be improved with a mindset shift, it can make a big difference for people with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder. But severe or persistent mental health symptoms often require professional intervention in addition to a change in mindset.

By changing your mindset, you can readjust negative cognitive and emotional patterns that stem from anxiety or depression. This can help alleviate symptoms in a variety of ways, including:

• Increasing optimism and hope for future goals
• Reducing anxiety about potential negative consequences
• Improving emotional regulation 
• Strengthening relationships for support during difficult times
• Learning to cope with difficulties and focus on solutions

Shifting your mindset can play a significant role in your personal development, which is an ongoing process that takes time, patience and effort. But if you’re having trouble shifting your mindset or your current mindset is causing you distress, it may be time to seek help.

A therapist can help you learn how to shift your mindset and develop the coping skills you need to handle mental health stressors. If you need more intensive care beyond outpatient therapy, Lightfully’s four levels of care can help:

• Residential Treatment
• Partial Hospitalization Program 
• Intensive Outpatient Program
• Virtual Services (vPHP/vIOP)

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.