Creating A Strong Mindset

My top recommendations for creating a strong mindset.

A good mindset doesn’t mean you’re constantly living in a positive bubble shouting affirmations at yourself in the mirror.

A good mindset stems from utilising and implementing resources and practices into your daily life so that whatever you may be faced with, you can stay grounded and focused and remain in calm energy.

A good mindset is also allowing any unwanted emotions to pass through you to open space for what is next.

You cannot have a conducive mindset while suppressing emotions.

I’m going to share my top recommendations for what has worked for me to get and keep a strong mindset and what I would recommend implementing into your life to give you the best opportunity to do the same.

So read on and make sure you try the last recommendation because that one is a life changer for more than just your mindset.

Nutrition.

We’ve all been there when we’re not feeling it. Something’s got you down, or you can’t be bothered, or you missed the gym and you just go for convenience, even though you know it’s not going to make you feel any better. But you do it anyway.

Nourishing my body with good food plays a significant part in how I feel day to day. When I eat good, I feel good, I have more energy, I feel positive about treating myself well and in turn I want to keep making better decisions for myself throughout the day.

What I find most convenient to follow through on this is when I make a meal, I simply add more ingredients and batch cook enough for 2 or 3 meals.

I will also make sure I stock up on snacks that I know are nutritious and easy for when I need something quick or on the go.

Hobby.

This will look different for everyone, but I think it’s super important to have something, outside of work and personal life to focus on.

For me this has been the gym. The actual hobby itself will differ from person to person but the premise of it will be the same.

It will be something you can focus on at the same time as being able to lose yourself in it.

When I am in the gym, it is like meditation, I don’t think of anything or anyone else. It’s me and my body.

If you don’t have a hobby right now, it might take a few attempts at trying different things to find out what you like but hobbies could be anything from the gym, swimming, crafting, photography, art etc, etc, etc.

Friends.

When I came out of my last long-term relationship, I knew I had to make it my mission to build a supportive network of friends around me.

I evaluated what I wanted in my life and the type of people I wanted to surround myself with.

This meant also letting go and distancing myself from friendships that were becoming damaging to my mental health and being proactive at putting myself in situations where I would meet like-minded people.

Being very conscious of this part of my life has created the most amazing connections and memories with people that were meant to be on my journey with me.

Consciously selecting the people I have in my life has led to friends who understand me on a level like no friends have in the past.

When I was going through a dark time, they gave me a safe space to express myself in any way I needed to which for me, was one of the most fundamental parts in my healing process.

I feel like all too often we go along in life, not actually analysing whom we are surrounding ourselves with and how their energy is really influencing us.

Once I had the courage to let go of certain relationships, it opened space to welcome in and nourish the life I have now created for myself.

Sleep.

There is not enough I can write to emphasise enough how important this is in everyone’s life.

By sleep, I do not just mean when your head hits the pillow and how long you’re asleep for.

I mean the quality of sleep, your sleep environment, your sleep routine, your intention with sleep and so much more!

It’s probably been a good 5 years since I have been really conscious and intentional with my sleep routine and to say it changed my life is an understatement. It is the foundation of my mindset and mood.

I’ve tried and tested an array of different methods and eventually found one that suits me.

This starts and ends my day in the best way for me to be my most productive and positive. It has also carried me through really tough times and given me routine and structure when my mind is most susceptible to influence – first thing in the morning.

I will share my sleep routine in a minute but first, here is a non-exhaustive list of practices you may have heard of to try and create a good sleep routine:

- No screens before bed

- No eating after a certain time

- Meditations

- Journaling

- Gratitude

- Managing water intake

- Music

- Exercise

- Reading

- Blue light glasses

- Cold water therapy

- No phone in the bedroom

- Black out blinds

- Eye masks

- Soundproofing

- Natural lights

There is so much you could try that it can feel overwhelming and can almost make you feel like you should be doing certain things or that you should enjoy doing certain things when really it’s simpler than people make it.

Do what feels good, what is easy and what you enjoy.

For me, this looks like:

Before bed:

- Limit screen time on TV and phone.

- Read something positive/productive/spiritual.

- Keep my phone out of my bedroom.

- Only using my bed for sleep. I don’t sit in bed before I go to sleep or after I wake up.

And that’s as simple as it gets.

When I wake up:

- Early alarm (between 5:15am-6am). I get up straight away.

- Make a tea.

- Light a candle.

- 10 minute meditation

- Read or journal. Sometimes both.

And that’s it.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as lengthy or as short as you want it to be.

Sometimes, I don’t have time to read or journal so I’ll only meditate, other times I don’t have time to do any of it so will just make sure I get up when I wake up and have a nutritious breakfast.

When you implement a good routine for yourself and carry it on consistently, if there is a day that you miss, you don’t feel like you’ve fallen off track because you’ve laid a solid foundation and the pathway of repetition is strong enough that it is easy and automatic you fall straight back into the routine that night and the following morning.

It's not a destination to arrive at.

Creating a strong mindset is not a destination to arrive at and it will take time. It won't happen overnight, after a week, or even after a month.

It is a continuous process of refining your routine and what works for you at the time of your life you're at.

Holding yourself accountable and raising the standards for yourself will impact your life in more ways than simply feeling more positive and productive. You will become more resilient, more focused, and you value and respect your health, time and your intimate environment a lot more.

Be consistent with a simple process and watch your life and mindset unfold in ways you didn't know were possible.