Mindset x Mindfulness
Some of you are wondering: “Josi, why do you talk so often about mindfulness, meditation, etc, what’s that got to do with mindset and self-leadership, it’s so woo-woo?”
Where should I even start with the reason why, there are so many! But let’s point out my personal top 5 reasons based on the benefits I see including mindfulness in the work with my clients.
First things first though, working on your mindset requires looking WITHIN, aka self-awareness. Because 1. you can’t shift what you don’t know about and 2. it always starts with your thoughts. So the more aware you are, the better you can work on and shift your mindset. Yes, that includes shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset too!
And if this doesn’t convince you, fellow woo-woo skeptics, I don’t know what would. But good for you, that you are already at the right place to just maybe make the woo a bit more tangible for you, so let’s get into this:
As just mentioned, self-awareness is literally a KEY element when it comes to mindset work, personal growth, or anything in life really. And mindfulness and meditation practices cultivate self-awareness by directing attention to the present moment. They help you become more attuned to your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgement. This heightened awareness allows you to recognise unhelpful thought patterns, limiting beliefs, and negative emotions, which are essential aspects of mindset work.
Stress reduction and emotional regulation: Focusing on your breath does not only provide your body with the needed amount of oxygen, meditation has also been shown to reduce stress and enhance emotional regulation. It helps you develop a non-reactive and accepting attitude towards your thoughts and emotions. By practising mindfulness and meditation, you can cultivate resilience and better manage challenging situations, setbacks, and negative emotions, which are crucial aspects of developing a positive mindset.
Which leads to the next point: Enhanced positivity and optimism: Mindfulness and meditation practices can foster a positive mindset by encouraging you to focus on positive experiences, gratitude, and self-compassion. These practices help you let go of negative thoughts and emotions, reframe challenges as opportunities for growth, and cultivate a sense of gratitude and optimism. Such positivity and optimism contribute to the development of a growth mindset and the belief that one can always learn and improve.
Increased self-compassion and acceptance: Going within fosters self-compassion and self-acceptance. Especially if you try out meditations like the metta meditation (click to check out an article from me all about it!). By practising non-judgmental awareness, you can develop a kind and compassionate attitude towards yourself. This self-compassion supports mindset work by promoting self-belief, self-acceptance, and self-care, which are essential for personal growth.
Cultivation of resilience and mental flexibility: Last but not least, sitting down in peace and quiet can and will strengthen your resilience and mental flexibility. Through observing and accepting thoughts and emotions without judgement, you can develop the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change, and embrace new perspectives. This resilience and mental flexibility are important aspects of mindset work as they help you overcome challenges and develop a growth-oriented mindset.
You can see, going within has everything to do with mindset work and even far more benefits beyond that area. There is a reason why highly successful people make time for it every.single.day!
If you want to get into meditation, I created the one place for you to go: The Meditation Lounge (click)
An ever-growing library of thoughtfully created different kinds of meditations to cater to different needs and experience levels. Two are freebies that you can try out right now (they take a maximum of 10 minutes), but if you want more, or try out my personal version of the metta meditation, I highly recommend you get your one-time ticket for life-long access!
xoxo
Josi
