how to have a strong mindset

Your mindset makes all the difference when you're making lifestyle changes. If you're not in the correct mindset you will experience more frustration and failures than someone who's locked in a strong mindset.

How do you have a strong mindset? I'm certainly not perfect but I'll share what I do to make sure my mind is ready for challenges of life- this includes making healthy choices.

1. Affirmations- Telling yourself positive things has a big impact. Turn your negative thoughts about yourself and your capabilities into positive statements. At first you won't believe what you're saying to yourself but be persistent with this practice and you'll soon find yourself successfully changing the way your mind perceives yourself.

2. Gratitude- Just this simple practice of listing five things you're grateful for when you're in a bad mood can completely change your outlook on life. Note: this is not denying your emotions. Sometimes your "negative" (uncomfortable) emotions need to be felt and dealt with. This is instead reminding yourself of the good when you have something bad to deal with.

3. Goals- People with strong mindset are moving towards a goal. They've focused in on something and they're on their way to reach it. If you don't have a goal you're kind of like a boat without a rudder. A mind that is strong is a mind with goals. 

4. Movement- A strong body creates a strong mind. Your body knows how you treat it and how much you've been exercising (or avoiding exercise). Talk to a person who never challenges their muscles about how confident they are and then go talk to someone who's been resistance training for a few months and they are notably more confident. 

5. Resilience- A strong mind is resilient. It can manage to fall seven times and get up eight. Just like walking takes practice, the more you get up from a fall the better you'll be at it. The most obvious example to this mom of a toddler- A toddler learning to walk will fall a lot. Not only are they improving their walking when they try again, they're improving their ability to get up from a fall. Be resilient. Get up and you'll get stronger every time you do.