Mindset: 7 Signs it’s Time to Change Yours

Mindset is important for personal growth and self-acceptance, especially if yours tends to be a negative one. If you’re stuck in a negative state of mind, it can be difficult to realize when you would benefit from changing your mindset, even when the signs are right in front of you. Could be the case for you? Here are 7 common signs that it is time change in your mindset.

You only see the negative.

Do you tend to put a strong focus on what’s wrong in your life and rarely (or never! ) acknowledge the good parts? Negativity is a major sign that you’ll benefit from changing your mindset to a more positive one that will help you to build better mental strength.

Personal experience has likely taught you that negative thinking leads to stress, anxiety and other mental health problems. It also lowers your expectations when you are always expecting the worst case scenario to occur.

You put yourself last.

How are you doing when it comes to self-care and taking care of your own needs? Do you feel that it’s selfish to focus on yourself rather than other people? Not feeling worthy of self-care, (that you could be taking away from your kids, family or friends) is a common sign that it’s time to alter your mindset and make yourself more of a priority.

Allowing yourself sometimes to be put first is vital for your health and wellbeing, especially when it comes to things like sleep and healthy eating. Self-care also triggers a relaxation response, which can help to stop the stress response affecting your health. These days, we know that chronic stress and the inflammation it can trigger is a big factor in a lot of health and skin issues. Self-care can, therefore, be a lot more crucial than you might think and changing your mindset to reflect this can be one of the best things you can do for your health.

You blame yourself for everything.

When things don’t go to plan, do you usually put the blame solely on yourself and refuse to recognize that other factors may be involved too? Excessive self-blame is linked to mental health problems, including depression. It’s also something that holds you back from being able to learn and grow from mistakes and experiences.

Instead of blaming yourself, try recognizing that it’s time to shift your mindset towards self-acceptance and self-forgiveness. We all make mistakes and having a mindset that accepts this and looks for ways to use them in a positive way

You worry (all the time).

Everyone worries now and again but if your worries are consuming you, you’ll definitely benefit from a mindset change.

A cynical or anxious mindset can be exhausting, and it’s also not very productive. A lot of the time, you’re worrying about things that will never happen or that you can’t change, so it really is just wasted energy. Find ways to stop worrying about things you have no control over to start building a more positive mindset. And for the things, you might be able to change? Focus on what you could do to make that happen.

Your expectations stress you out.

If you’re expecting things to happen without the right mindset, it’s usually going to end in frustration and disappointment. This is absolutely true when it comes to happiness. We often expect happiness to just happen, usually in line with material things or other people. Expectations about who you should be and what other people expect from you can also be super stressful.

Shifting your mindset to recognize that your expectations start with you can be a game changer as it helps you to feel that you have control over them. Experts have suggested that lowering your expectations can be a secret weapon in the road to happiness.

Your routines have changed.

Have you noticed a shift in your sleep, appetite, and mood lately? If this isn’t for the better, it’s another sign that your mindset could use a more positive stance.

A negative mindset can affect your health so it’s probably no great surprise to know that negative changes in your routines can come about as a result of your mindset, especially if you don’t have a positive one. Negative thought patterns can affect your sleep patterns and mood, and can also lead to emotional eating.

You feel your priorities/values aren’t matching your life.

Take time to think about your biggest priorities in life. Maybe these focus on your health, happiness or family, for example. Now have a think about whether your life is really helping you to work towards your priorities. Were you surprised to recognize that your priorities and values don’t fit too well with how you’re living your life? It’s another sign that you’re in the right position to change your mindset and bring your life in line with your values.