‘Mindset’ is another word that is used regularly in mental health discussions. The clearest definition I have discovered is:

“A habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to certain situations.”

So this suggests it can have a significant bearing on our mental health. 

Psychologists distinguish between a Fixed mindset and a Growth mindset. A fixed one believes ability is fixed, in other words we are born with a certain level of ability and we cannot change. In contrast a growth one has the belief that you are in control of your own ability and can learn and improve.

A practical example is the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare is attributed with a fixed mindset as he believed that he would win whatever he did. Whereas the tortoise had a growth mindset. He believed he needed to work hard and keep going if he was to win. He was also not afraid of failure or he would never have agreed to race the hare.  

You may think you have a fixed mindset and are wondering what you can do to develop more of a growth type. Many eminent people in the mental health world have considered this subject and I have selected some of the ideas of Tchiki Davis an American graduate from the Berkeley Well Institute and a wellbeing expert. 

1 Acknowledge and embrace imperfection in self and others. We all have our flaws, peculiarities and weirdness.

2 Face your challenges bravely. If you find yourself terrified in the face of a serious challenge, stop and reframe the situation in your mind. Consider your challenge as an opportunity thus slightly shifting your perspective.

3 Stop seeking approval from others. Cultivate self-acceptance and self approval. Learn to trust yourself.

4 Redefine ‘genius’. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Appreciate your strengths and work to improve your weaknesses.

5 Learn from the mistakes of others. This will help you make fewer mistakes. This can sometimes calm the fear of trying new things.

6 Take risks in the company of others. Try not to take yourself too seriously. Making mistakes with others will usually become easier with practice.

7 Speed is not important. Don’t worry about how long it may take to reach your goal. Concentrate on fully engaging and putting as much  effort as possible into the process.

In terms of happiness, a fixed mind set would say “Well this is the level of happiness I’m at and it’s not going to change so why even try”.

A growth mindset would say “Yes, this is how I am today but I want to improve it. I want to get better and I’m going to work at it. I’m going to do things that make me a happier person because happiness requires work.”

Teg

A Moodscope member

PS. If you are interested in a mental health related topic but don’t want to write a Post about it, please let me know. I am happy to research the subject to discover if I can find enough material for a blog post.