Are You Stuck in a Rut?
And feeling down about how things are going in your life?
Maybe you’re doing things you wish you wouldn’t, like a habit you’re struggling to break.
Or, perhaps you want to completely change yourself and are dreaming of a new direction for your life.
Whether it’s kicking a smoking habit, launching the business you’ve always dreamed of, or just being more open to what life has to offer, you can take steps to change yourself, and in turn, change your life.
The Key to Change Yourself
It starts in your mind, with your thoughts.
It’s a simple chain, our thoughts lead to feelings, and those feelings lead to actions.
The thoughts we entertain can shape how we feel and what we do.
Take the Smoking Example
Imagine you’re trying to quit smoking.
Before you even light up, you think, “I really want a cigarette.”
Then, you start justifying why having one now seems like a good idea.
Next, you think about stepping outside for a smoke.
Excitement or another feeling might kick in, and before you know it, you’re smoking.
But remember, it all started with a thought.
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Actions
Since our actions are guided by our thoughts, changing the way we think can help us change our actions.
Here are 3 practical strategies to help you get started on this journey of transformation:
Embracing the Growth Mindset
Transforming or enhancing your life often begins with adopting what’s called a “growth mindset.”
This mindset is all about believing that you can improve your abilities just through sheer dedication and effort.
People who embrace a growth mindset are not afraid of taking up new challenges.
They work hard, are eager to learn new ways of doing things, and value honest feedback, especially when they find themselves struggling (Dweck, 2015).
This approach to thinking and learning could be why having a growth mindset is often linked to achieving success in all different areas of life (Yeager et al., 2019).
The Role of Positive Expectations
When it comes to making a positive change in your life, one important factor for you to consider is to hold onto positive expectations.
Positive expectations are simply the belief that things are going turn out well.
There’s some very interesting research on something called the placebo effect.
It shows that even a treatment that doesn’t do anything can still make things better if we think it will help us (Moerman & Jonas, 2002).
This effect highlights a powerful truth that our expectations can significantly influence our outcomes.
Positive Expectations in Action
For instance, if you believe that you can quit smoking; your chances of succeeding are higher.
Similarly, if you’re convinced that taking a particular class will help you learn a new skill, you’re more likely to actually learn it.
This is the power of believing in a positive outcome, it can make a real difference in achieving your goals.
Change Your Emotions: The Path to a Better Life
The Impact of Positive Emotions
The concept of the “broaden and build theory of positive emotion” tells us that positive feelings can create a chain reaction leading to good things, like career success and happy relationships (Fredrickson, 2004).
In fact, studies have found that it’s usually positive emotions that lead to success, rather than success making us feel positive (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005).
Understanding the Role of Negative Emotions
On the flip side of the coin, our harmful habits often come from negative emotions.
For example, we might smoke to handle stress, drink to feel better, or shop to cheer ourselves up.
Basically, when we engage in these not so good behaviours, we’re often trying to deal with or dampen down our negative feelings.
To Change Yourself Your Emotions Matters
Learning to change your emotions is vital.
It’s a big part of changing your actions, and as a result, transforming your life.
By shifting how we feel, we can move towards healthier habits and a more positive life journey.
References
● Dweck, C. (2015). Carol Dweck revisits the growth mindset. Education Week, 35(5), 20-24.
● Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). The broaden–and–build theory of positive emotions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 359(1449), 1367-1377.
● Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success?. Psychological bulletin, 131(6), 803.
● Moerman, D. E., & Jonas, W. B. (2002). Deconstructing the placebo effect and finding the meaning response.
