Let’s face it, we are in a really strange place right now with all of this pandemic going on. There are lots of people feeling fearful, and that can add to our anxiety.
It can be really hard to manage your mindset in this crazy new world. However, it’s imperative that you do.
Why?
Because it’s the one thing that you can control right now.
Let me say that again. Your mindset is the one thing that you can control right now. You can change how you feel in this red hot minute. You don’t have to spend money, you don’t need to leave the house and you don’t even need to spend hours learning something new. How cool is that?
No matter what’s going on outside, you can control your feelings and reactions to it.
I’m going to share three of these hacks with you.
Manage your mindset monkeys
We all have mindset monkeys. Those nagging little messengers that constantly tell you that you’re not good enough, not smart enough, not ready. They can instil you with fear and doubt. They’re actually just trying to keep you safe, but you have to give them a banana to shut them up!
This simple strategy helps you bypass those naughty monkeys, and move forward with confidence
Imagine your future you. The one that’s feeling really confident.
- How would you behave?
- What would you tell yourself?
- What would you do differently?
- How would you go about your day?
- What would you see, hear, feel?
Step into that future you now. Act as if you already have all of those fabulous traits.
Not sure you’ve been that confident, or know how to feel really confident? That’s okay. Think of someone that exudes confidence for you, then run those questions through that filter instead.
Don’t need confidence? Replace it with any other word you want to feel. Maybe it’s motivated, productive, energised. Just play and notice what comes up for you.
You may find that your monkeys might just start to settle down.
Shift your focus to shift your thinking
When you believe that everything going on is outside of your control, you’re giving away your power.
Instead, decide today that you create your own life. Choose to take responsibility for your life and what happens in it.
When you take responsibility, you come from a powerful place because you believe you can affect change. You’re not dependent on anyone else. There will always be things that feel out of our control, that’s life. It’s how you react to them that counts.
- Been made redundant? Maybe it’s time to consider setting up the business that you’ve always dreamed about
- Bank balance looking shaky? What could you create to sell? Is it time for a declutter to sell off things you no longer use? Are you a whizz at technology and could help others all from the comfort of your own home?
- There’s always a way to move through obstacles. You just have to get creative, and know that you can choose how you feel at any given point in time. Shift your focus from giving other people power, to you having the power to affect change.
Keep a positive mindset when the world is falling down around you
A quick way to change your mindset is to shift your focus, and that shifts your thinking. Instead of thinking about what’s going wrong, focus on what’s going right. Practising gratitude for everything that you have is an amazing place to start. It feels such a simple practice that you believe it can’t possibly work, however it can really shift your thinking massively. Focus on all of the good things and you’ll start to notice more good things coming your way.
I don’t know about you, but I find the word ‘ lockdown’ really stifling. For me, and a lot of people, it generates anxiety. The word ‘lockdown’ feels like we have no control.
Instead of using words that constrict you, change them into words that empower you.
Here’s what I did – I’ve got rid of the word ‘lockdown’ completely, and I replaced it with Spring Retreat, and Summer Retreat. We are currently in a semi lockdown of sorts again in Scotland, so now instead of lockdown it’s called an Autumn Retreat.
I can’t tell you the number of people that adopted the strategy, and found themselves feeling instantly calmer. Thinking of these imposed restraints in a different way opens up a whole new thought process. When you think about the word ‘ Retreat’, you can’t help but think of all of the lovely things that you can do for yourself and others.
This doesn’t just apply to the current pandemic. It applies to everything that you do.
Grab a pen, some paper, and a cuppa (I’ll have a cappuccino please!) and do this simple exercise:
Write a list of all of the negative words & phrases that you use.
Ask yourself, how can I say the same thing using positive and empowering language? Here’s a couple of examples:
Instead of:
- I’m worried that I might lose my job with this pandemic going on
Say something like this:
- I will use this time wisely to develop my skills so that I am ready for any sudden changes that might happen as a result of the pandemic. I’ve got lots of transferrable skills.
Let go of telling yourself this:
- I feel anxious about everything that’s going on in the world
And tell yourself this instead
- I can’t control what’s going on in the world, but I can control me. What one thing could I do today to bring in a bit of calm, fun, laughter into my life?
Ultimately, it all begins with you. You have the capacity to feel better instantly. Learn how to manage a mindset monkeys, shift your focus to shift your thinking and develop a positive mindset no matter what’s going on around you.
You’ve got this!
If you need some support with leadership, mindset, small business growth attracting dreamie clients and more, you can connect with Ruby on sistr.
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