If I told you that mindset is part of our health and wellbeing, would you believe me? The power of one’s mindset is often overlooked. The impact it can have on your everyday life is vast!

The world we live in today is a rollercoaster ride. I refer to the most recent times as the Corona Coaster! Each and every one of us will face some form of negativity in life, unfortunately, we can’t escape it. But it is how we respond to these situations with clarity that will get you through to the other side.

My Journal Journey

I started to work on my mindset 3 years ago. I was living in Dubai at the time and I wasn’t entirely happy or fulfilled in my job.

Like most, I came home for Christmas every year. The buzz at that time of year is so special. Spending it with family and friends always makes going back that bit harder. I remember my first year going back and so many thoughts run through my mind;

Is this what I want?

Am I happy?

What do I want to do with my life?

Should I have everything figured out?

Travelling by yourself is lonely, however, it allows you to be just with yourself and your own thoughts, and honestly? It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

I used to love buying journals but mainly used it for daily to-do lists and such. Little did I know it served a much greater purpose! Every time I would sit on a plane I would open it up and start writing about how I felt. It was so freeing! That’s where it all began for me and I haven’t looked back since.

What Exactly IS Mindset?

Your mindset is how you feel about yourself, your environment, what you believe, your expectations and what direction you’re going in. It is influenced by how you were raised, your past experience and the people you are surrounded by. There are two types of mindset:

1.   Fixed Mindset:

The need for approval, questioning oneself, need for confirmation, avoids obstacles and challenges.

2.   Growth Mindset:

Willing to grow as an individual, open to learning, embraces a challenge.

There is no doubt that there is a connection between our body and mind. What we believe or expect often determines how our body responds.

A study was carried out in America on 84 female housekeepers working in hotels. Their work involved them being on their feet all day long, dressing beds, hoovering and other hospitable work. However, when the women were asked if they exercise regularly, two-thirds of them said no.

Researchers then wondered could they change their mindset, so they were split them into two groups;

1. Group one were informed of how much physical activity they were undertaking at work.
2. Group two were not informed and were left to continue working as they normally did.

They measured them in the following weeks on a variety of things – body fat, weight and satisfaction with their job.

4 weeks later they were re-tested. The group that received no information about their work and it’s physical activity had no changes. But the group that were informed about their levels of physical activity decreased body fat and weight, and also increased job satisfaction. This just shows that some small changes to one’s mindset can cause a whole cascade of positive effects on health and wellbeing!

You often hear the saying ‘We’re only human’. This is true, however, that does not mean that we cannot put a big effort into changing our mindset. Yes, you read that correctly, we can CHANGE our mindset.

Rewiring your mindset takes practice, patience and consistency. I have a little mindset routine that I perform daily, first thing in the morning. I would highly recommend that you try to figure out what works for you too, but here are some ideas.

Did you ever hear the expression ‘is the glass half empty or half full?’. Let’s take the optimistic side and say it’s half full. Now let me ask you this: what do you need to do to fill the remainder of the glass? What can you do that you KNOW will increase your mood or positivity?

What Makes You Tick?

Let’s call this an hour of what fills your cup. For me it looks something like this:

When I wake up, I do a 10 minute morning meditation on YouTube by The Honest Guys. Meditation reduces stress, allows you to connect with your thoughts and starts your day off with a great sense of calmness. I also have an app block on my phone until midday (I use AppBlock).

Scrolling through Instagram or Facebook first thing in the morning can start your day off on the wrong foot. I once heard that it was like leaving 100 people into your bedroom before you even got up. You only find yourself comparing your day to someone else’s and it hasn’t even started yet!

Next – dress your bed! If your bed is dressed and the rest of your day doesn’t go as planned, you have still accomplished something that day.

At 7am I am downstairs to brew a cup of coffee. I LOVE coffee! This is followed by journaling. I set a timer for 10 minutes and I just write freely, call it a brain dump if you like. Next I write 3 things that I am grateful for.

Gratitude is a powerful tool to combat a negative mindset, it allows you to regain control over your thoughts and remind you of the good things in your life, no matter how big or small they are.

Next up is The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, this is a book with a page for every day along with a saying or meditation for living.

I then read about 10 pages of a book. I do this before setting out my tasks for the day because I want there still to be a sense of calm upon myself.

Finally, I have a productivity journal to set out my tasks for the day. This allows me to stay focused and I also have a sense of achievement for the rest of the day. It is important to celebrate your wins – even the little ones!

I’m grateful (yup, I’m gonna include some gratitude here!) that I can have a quiet house when I get up in the morning to help set me up for the day, and I realise not everyone is in this position to do so. But I think it’s super important to make the time for YOU, no matter what time of day it is. To sit down with your cup of joe, tea, or water (whatever fills your cup!) and read or write about what makes you tick.

Using a journal and writing down what you’re grateful for doesn’t have to take hours, nor a lot of brainpower. You also don’t have to be a skilled or talented writer to flush out your thoughts; because no one else is reading.

All you need is the power and time to start, and you’ll be so surprised at what comes out when you pick up the pen and just begin writing. Some days might be more challenging than others, but it’s on those days when you push through that you’ll reap the rewards and feel better in yourself!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on mindset and getting into a positive frame of mind; what works for you and where are you on the positive mindset journey?!

About Kerrie:

Kerie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science from The Institute of Carlow, Ireland in 2017. Within this time she gained vast experience in coaching when she undertook a strength and conditioning internship with Spartan Performance, Michigan State University, USA. Following obtaining her degree Kerie moved to Dubai in August 2017 and spent two years there as a Physical Education Teacher, learning, travelling and meeting great people. Two years late Ireland was calling to pursue more of my passion in the Health and fitness industry. Kerie is now an Online Health and Performance Coach and registered with the SENr as a Sport and Exercise Nutritionist after completing The Institute of Performance Sports Performance Nutrition online diploma under Dr. Laurent Bannock. Through nutrition, exercise and mindfulness she aspires to give young women the tools that you need to improve not only your physical health but your mental wellbeing.

Visit her website for more info or find her on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn