BUILD A HEALTHY MIND WITH 11 ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES (MASTER THEM!)

INTRODUCTION

Build a healthy mind!

Juggling responsibilities, work, obligations, and ambitions is always a big challenge in our modern era. One aspect of health that deserves our utmost attention is building a healthy mind that carries us through life with resilience, joy, productivity, and overall well-being. 

In this article, you will discover foundational traits to do just that! 

Let’s dive in! 

GROWTH MINDSET TO BUILD A HEALTHY MIND

Positive thinking and a growth mindset automatically set you on track to develop yourself, engage in healthy behaviors, seek opportunities, and learn from setbacks and failures. When you maintain a positive outlook on your life experiences, you become better equipped to handle the life challenges that come your way and proactive in finding solutions for a healthier lifestyle. 

EMPOWERING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

Empowering social connections means spending time with people who positively influence your life, health, and decisions. 

Your social circle shapes you and profoundly impacts your health. When you surround yourself with the right people, you will automatically:

• Provide emotional support when you face difficulties
• Foster a sense of belonging. 
• Buffer against stress 
• Subconsciously learn and engage in healthy behaviors
• Find extra motivation to take action towards your health goals. 

STRONG FAMILY BONDING 

Strengthening the bonds with your loved ones by spending quality time with them has profound health benefits. It gives you a deep sense of belonging, recognition, and satisfaction. It also increases your ability to express gratitude and appreciation for the simplest things you have. 

Altogether, they increase your motivation to pursue your goals. 

PASSION AND JOY TO BUILD A HEALTHY MIND

Following your passions will create an automatic drive toward your goals and make you live a life fueled with purpose and satisfaction. The opposite is also true: if you are not passionate and enjoying the process, no matter how motivated you could be, at some point, you will feel depleted. 

POSITIVE SELF-TALK TO BUILD A HEALTHY MIND

Be your own biggest cheerleader! 

We all have an inner voice guiding our actions and choices, but when this inner voice is destructive, it can mislead us and drive us to misery. 

Do not live your life unaware of that inner voice, pay attention to it and transform it into the best cheerleader on your team. The idea is to replace self-doubts with actionable affirmations that propel you forward and above the obstacles you face. It is like having a mental spring that helps you bounce back when life throws curveballs your way. Or like wearing glasses that make you see the silver lining in every cloud, no matter how stormy it may seem.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SELF-AWARENESS

Being attuned to the emotions you express daily and the circumstances that lead you to manifest them is crucial for mental health. 

For example, it is critical to know: 

• What are the things that bring you joy and satisfaction?
• In which contexts do you express sadness, fear, or anxiety? 
• Are your emotions helping you or hindering your growth? 

It is vital to identify the consequences they have on your life. 

Become aware of your thoughts and emotions. Identify patterns to build a robust emotional intelligence that drives you in the right direction. 

CAPACITY FOR ADAPTATIONS

Life always brings new challenges to us, unexpected things come our way, and sometimes failures slap us in the face.  

If you can face struggles with an open mind, embrace them, find solutions, and learn from them, you will build a higher capacity for adaptation. In turn, higher adaptation capabilities capacity gives you the power to overcome more difficult challenges and be a winner in all circumstances. Picture being a mental gymnast, ready to perform graceful flips when life changes unexpectedly.

SELF-FORGIVENESS AND SELF-CARE

You might have heard: “Treat yourself like a close friend would treat you!”

We often direct our attention to external things and forget that without caring for ourselves, caring for others becomes limited. Also, we tend to focus on and blame ourselves for our mistakes, which puts us in a downward cycle of low confidence and self-esteem. 

Forgiveness is the way to pull yourself out of this cycle. When we forgive ourselves, we give ourselves permission to bounce back, change, and learn. Embrace your quirks and mistakes as beautiful parts of your unique story. Forgive yourself for the things you have done, and care for yourself. 

You deserve it! 

PROLONGED FOCUS

Prolonged focus acts as a magnifying glass to dive into subjects and extract from them a deeper understanding. It grants you the energy to explore intricate details, notice patterns, make connections, and identify nuances that might go unnoticed with fleeting attention. With focus, you can immerse yourself in your experiences and engage in them to absorb information, learn much faster from your mistakes, and attain valuable insights. If you can learn to direct it toward the relevant information and experiences, prolonged focus becomes your ultimate tool for exponential growth. 

PRESENCE AND UNDIVIDED ATTENTION  

Presence and undivided attention implies being aware of all the relevant details happening in the present moment related to your interactions with your environment. 

This interaction can be a task, a conversation, or other activities. For instance, the goal is to be able to identify in real time:

• How do these interactions affect your and other’s thoughts and emotions?
• How to respond to them in the most adequate? 
• And what is the best way to adapt to the current situation?

Being fully present also implies avoiding past thoughts, memories, and future projections interfering negatively with what is happening in the present moment. Think of your mind as a camera that captures the richness of the “now” instead of constantly flipping through old photo albums or worrying about the future.

EMPATHY AND KINDNESS TO BUILD A HEALTHY MIND

Being empathetic towards other people’s struggles and actively seeking to help them with acts of kindness is a powerful way to increase your sense of contribution and overall mood. Let your heart be the source of remarkable vibes, making the world a more compassionate place to live in. 

CONCLUSION 

The road toward health and building an unbreakable mindset is not a static journey. It is an ongoing adventure, an exploration of your potential. 

Through the mindset qualities we uncovered in this article, you can navigate through storms and savor sunshine. It all begins with a mindset shift, commitment to explore new avenues, self-awareness, and embracing difficulties. 

Nurture the 11 qualities mentioned and craft your unique mark in this world.