Mindset, Gratitude & Action
Today’s post is all about mindset, gratitude and action. Putting them all together to switch lenses and offset anxious feelings. It’s easy to get caught in the single lens trap! -Seeing the world through one mindset.
AND! With current information overload and drastic changes in our typical day it is especially hard to switch lenses. Attaching grateful actions to our thoughts can give us that added help. Check out today’s tips!
In earlier posts, we learned
Having a grateful mindset can offset feelings of anxiety and negative thoughts. When we are grateful, our brain releases chemicals that enhance our mood! Our brain’s focus is redirected and we feel happier. Check out the scientific evidence.
We also learned about the CBT cycle, or cognitive behavioral theory, where thoughts create feelings, feelings create behaviors and behavior reinforces thoughts. Here’s the Post!
Today, let’s put it all together!
Currently, most of us are looking at the world through the lens of the Coronavirus –websites, news stories, conversations, our daily routine, even advertisements are mostly sharing the same theme, lens or mindset.
The Lens Through Which I See the World
Pre-Coronavirus, in living a relatively balanced lifestyle, we look through different lenses for different situations. Sometimes confident, sometimes cautious or calculated, sometimes relaxed or carefree, sometimes fearful or sometimes playful.
Tracy, Physio-Logics Wellness Educator, reminds us this week that in order to live an emotionally healthy life we need to find a balance of these lenses. Certain times, we may apply a consistent anxious lens or negative lens to situations. This can distort our reality, often in damaging ways to our well-being.
Right now with information overload, we may be limiting to just one and viewing most situations through that lens. The balance of applying different mindsets for different situations is uneven. If you are finding you are more reactive, eating more, achy or tense, emotional, or having difficulty sleeping -you could be looking too long through just one lens.
Gratitude
A daily gratitude practice allows us to establish a more positive mindset, or ability to freely shift lenses. Because of an influx of Coronavirus information and the extent to which our typical routine has changed, maintaining a positive, flexible mindset becomes more challenging. It is very important to not just have grateful thoughts, but to act upon them as well! Completing that CBT cycle, or REWIRE.
Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) reminds us of the cyclic interaction between our thoughts, emotions, and actions. How we think affects how we feel, how we feel affects how we behave, how we behave leads to outcomes which we then have thoughts about, which affect how we feel and how we behave… it’s like the song that never ends -or is it?
Each positive and grateful thought can help change this pattern. AND! adding in an action as well really inspires using a new lens. In continuing through the CBT cycle, by adding in a positive action as well, we begin to REWIRE or train our brains that outcomes are within our control and we can feed the next cycle in a positive and uplifting way.
Today’s Tip
Challenge yourself and your children to turn grateful thoughts into rewarding actions. Break the single lens cycle with positivity! -in both thought and action. Perhaps you have made a gratitude tree or jar, or are having family gratitude discussions. Now, try to put those to action. Let gratitude guide your actions!
Connecting thoughts to actions gives everyone the opportunity to change their lens, and view the world differently. There are many elements of life which we do not have much control; learning how to change one’s lens gives some control. Children gain an awareness to their ability to switch mindsets and connect to positive experiences, both familiar and new!
Take-Aways
Today was all about mindset, gratitude and action! -and putting them all together to interrupt a CBT cycle guided by a consistent lens, or mindset.
It’s easy to get caught in the single lens trap! Currently, information overload and drastic change in our typical day makes it especially hard to switch lenses. Attaching grateful actions to our thoughts can give us that added help.
Thank You!
Sending well wishes to you all. Looking forward to seeing you soon! In the meantime, we’ll continue to post and share resources. Feel free to share what your family is grateful for and how you chose show through action. Thanks for reading today!
