Key Takeaways:
- Change is part of life and inevitable.
- Changing your mindset is very beneficial.
- Everyone doesn’t have the life skills to deal with change constructively.
- Reframing stressful situations can help you deal with them easier.
Life is full of change. Some are great, such as marriages, graduations, new jobs, and babies. Other changes, such as illnesses, accidents, age transitions, retirements, and moving, are not so great. All changes can bring about significant stress, regardless of whether they’re good or bad.
The type of thoughts you entertain every day determines the kind of life you live. A constant parade of sad, angry, miserable thoughts leads to a life of the same. This concept sounds cooky to some people, but science backs it up.
People with positive outlooks are healthier, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. They have fewer heart-related health issues and higher immune responses. The opposite is also true. A negative outlook on life results in a higher frequency of health issues.
Small changes in your attitude can have a huge impact on your future. This article discusses the benefits of change, how to face change positively, ways to change your mindset, and different therapies that successfully treat change-related issues.
The Benefits of Change
Many changes are beneficial because they upgrade your situation in life. Changing jobs, moving, and starting a new school are all changes that can make your life better and more comfortable. Those changes are easy to accept, although they can be stressful.
Some changes aren’t so nice but are still necessary for growth and self-awareness. Divorce, being fired, and losing a loved one are all painful changes that can’t typically be avoided.
Those types of problems can cause tremendous stress and anxiety, especially if you don’t understand how to deal with them – but they also spur deep introspection that can improve your quality of life.
Complex changes can affect personal growth. Dealing with a change successfully can leave you stronger, more secure, and better prepared for the next step in life. Difficult changes that aren’t expected or wanted can still produce a favorable outcome.
People from all walks of life can experience confusion and trauma when life throws them a curveball. The key is learning how to deal with those emotions.
The first step is understanding how to face change and adversity with positivity and several types of therapy that successfully treat the problems change typically brings.
Facing Change with a Positive Mindset
A positive mindset is something you’re born with, but there are many things you can do to give it a boost if it doesn’t come naturally. You might start with these simple solutions:
Smile
Smiling more often can increase positive feelings. You don’t have to smile at anyone – you can be all alone. Just smile at yourself in the mirror to see how it feels. A University of Kansas study found that smiling reduces heart rate and blood pressure during stressful situations, even if you don’t really feel happy.
Stream a few minutes of stand-up comedy the next time you’re stuck in line at the bank or ticked off over a family or work situation. It’s hard not to smile when watching something genuinely funny.
Strengthen Resilience
Resiliency is the ability to bounce back after a stressful situation gets the best of you. It’s the way a person responds to losses and negative situations. Experts suggest several strategic ways to strengthen resiliency, such as:
- Learn to accept that change is an inevitable part of life
- Maintain healthy relationships
- Take action when something happens
You can learn to be more resilient, even if it doesn’t come naturally.
5 Ways to Change Your Mindset
- Set aside time for self-reflection and introspection.
This can help you become more aware of your thoughts and behaviors, and identify any patterns that may be holding you back from a more positive mindset.
- Practice gratitude.
Take a few moments each day to reflect on the things that you are grateful for. This can help shift your focus from negative thoughts and experiences to the positive aspects of your life.
- Engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.
This could be anything from hobbies and sports to volunteering or spending time with loved ones.
- Surround yourself with positive people.
The people you spend time with can have a big impact on your mindset and outlook on life. Try to spend time with people who are supportive and uplifting, rather than those who drain your energy or bring you down.
- Take care of your physical health.
Your mental and emotional well-being are closely connected to your physical health. Make sure to get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and engage in regular exercise to support a positive mindset.
Reframe Troublesome Situations
It’s easy to forget that nothing is all bad when you’re in the middle of something painful, but it’s true. There’s always another way to look at a situation. Be grateful you have a car, a job, and a few extra minutes to listen to the radio instead of being mad that you’re stuck in traffic.
Reframing a less-than-stellar situation can help bring out the highlights of your day.
Facing change with a positive mindset changes your perspective forever. It’s no longer possible to only see the dark side of things when you know there’s something better right around the corner.
Therapies That Help with Change
Change can be disorienting and puzzling. People can’t always figure out how to move with it all alone. There are a lot of talk therapies that can help with various life changes and their ramifications.
Emotional Freedom Technique
EFT involves tapping your body with your fingertips at specific pressure points. It works like acupuncture and relieves pressure accumulating in the body’s hotspots.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
MBSR teaches patients to live in the moment and let go of bad past experiences. It shows people how to stop worrying about the future and what they can’t control and enjoy their life in the now.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
EMDR helps people cope with troubling memories by attaching positive current events to uncomfortable memories to forge a new pathway in the brain. Eye movements and other bilateral stimulation are used to accomplish thought connections.
Choose a therapy that relates to the life change you’re dealing with. A therapist can help you decide which technique will work best for you.
Changing your thoughts can change your life, but it isn’t a simple process. Working to stay optimistic takes determination and a sincere desire. Therapy can help keep you on track.
Learn How to Change Your Future with Your Thoughts and Mentality
Your outlook on life and how you respond to daily stressors have a lot to do with your future self. The Counseling Center Group is dedicated to helping you live a life you love. We are committed to providing relatively short-term treatments designed to achieve positive, long-lasting results.
Our therapists use defined, evidence-based methods to help you reach realistic goals. We recognize that you need sensible strategies to achieve your desired outcomes, not years of open-ended therapy that simply validates your concerns.
We take pride in helping individuals, couples, and families make life-enhancing changes and transitions. The Counseling Center Group can help you discover your authentic self; understand the emotions, thoughts, and actions that keep you stuck in place; and master the tools you need to live a fulfilling life.
Check out our website or give us a call today to learn more about how your thoughts control your future.
