A positive everyday life begins in our minds. Today I'm introducing you to three habits that can help you strengthen your mindset and achieve real change.

How thoughts shape our lives

Everything we do in the same way over a longer period of time becomes a habit. In addition to habits that affect our behavior (such as exercising, Just like we do things (smoking, checking our smartphone, going to bed at a certain time, meditating, being creative, etc.), our brain also has its habits. We "get used" to certain thoughts and develop reactions, attitudes, and worldviews from them. Naturally, our behavior and our thoughts influence each other: What we think affects what we do. And what we do affects our thoughts.

Establishing a new habit is initially daunting for many people: It requires time, perseverance, and physical and mental investment. It's more comfortable to let everything be as it is... In the long run, however, everyday habits can change our lives. What we think every day plays one of the biggest roles in this. It influences our view of the world, our fellow human beings, and our lives. This is why it's so important to not only consider what we do every day, but also what we think every day. Positive and constructive mindset habits can help us develop a more positive everyday life with more serenity and joy.

I've written about all of the habits mentioned below in one way or another on this blog before. But because I find them SO central and relevant, I'll repeat them until everyone has implemented them. After all, repetition is an important component in the learning process ;-)

Three important mindset habits

1. Stop playing the victim

Stop complaining. Stop blaming others for your problems or for anything that happens in your life. At the end of the day, no one's life is perfect. We all came into the world with different circumstances and characteristics, and have experienced different things and experiences. It's up to us what we make of the life we've been given. And that includes problems, deficits, and gaps.

It's up to you to use your gifts, strengths—and the challenges in your life—to create something valuable. Something that enhances your life and perhaps even makes a difference in the world.

It's also up to you to be kind. To yourself and to others. Even when bad things have happened to you.

You have to take responsibility for yourself and your life, because YOU are in control of it. Of course, certain people influence your life. However, it is ultimately up to you to change it as much as you want.

Life is always for you

Some people live with beliefs like “I am poor” or “I am not smart enough” or “Life is never good to me” or “I was just born this way”, etc. These people constantly complain, see themselves as victims of circumstances and blame others for their own problems.

At the end of the day, however, no one will be able to change your life to make you happy. So you can either do nothing, grumpily watch your life pass you by, and complain.Or you can take control of your life, gain experience, learn, develop, and take responsibility for your decisions. Only then can you create the life you want to create.

Even if the last few paragraphs felt more like a motivational speech than a recommendation for a habit you can establish, keep reminding yourself of these things. Observe yourself as you go through life. Do you take responsibility, or do you see yourself as the victim? Are you actively doing something to change the areas of your life you're dissatisfied with? Engaging with content like this article is definitely a great start! :-)

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

2. Cultivate gratitude – every day

Practicing and cultivating gratitude has probably been one of the biggest life changes for me. That's why I never tire of talking about gratitude. If each of us actively practiced gratitude, this world would be a better place. I'm convinced of it. Being grateful is like a key to happiness—because when you wake up grateful and appreciate the things you have, you practically can't avoid being happy.

Unfortunately, we often forget to be grateful in everyday life. Especially for the little things. We think to ourselves, "Yeah, I'm grateful. BUT I still want to have this and achieve this, and that could be even better..." We focus on our desires and are caught in a scarcity mindset. The main voice speaking from within us is our ego. The ego is never satisfied and always finds something that can be improved upon. For this reason, we should take a little time every day (even if it's just 30 seconds!) to be grateful.

A gratitude journal can work wonders. Every day, write down 1-3 things you're grateful for. If you try to find something new each day, you'll become more and more aware of the little things over time. Your focus will shift. And the more you write down what you're grateful for, the more you'll find things to be grateful for.

Whatever you focus on grows. So, if you focus on gratitude (instead of, for example, unfulfilled desires), it grows. And gratitude brings abundance and positivity into your life.

3. Don't take your life always so serious

Of course, life is serious in some ways. Yet we often take it—and ourselves—too seriously. We tend to overthink and overanalyze. We worry too much. We're practically constantly stressed. We believe that if we don't do something "right," make the wrong decisions, or take too much time, the world will end. We get so caught up in the little things of everyday life that we forget that these things aren't really that important after all.

Ultimately, we all just want to be happy, right? Love is certainly important for that. But so is fun. And you have fun when you don't take things too seriously. When you allow yourself to be childish even as an adult. When you do things that fulfill you and spend time with people who make you laugh.

Letting go, being carefree. This is easier for some people than for others. But you can learn this too and train it like a muscle. Find things that bring you joy.Dance to your favorite song, visit an amusement park, play a board game with your loved ones. Observe how children behave, or remember what you enjoyed doing as a child. Fun can be found in the smallest moments.

Try to simply enjoy your time on this planet more often. Don't constantly think about what other people might think of you or what society expects of you. Sing, dance, do all the things you enjoy. Don't take yourself and your life too seriously.

After all, having fun and being happy is what matters in life, right? :-)

If you would like to learn more about mindfulness, healthy eating or sustainability, take a look here over.

Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash