13 examples of Mindset Work to stop blocking yourself and make real progress! 🤩

🎶 Today I CHOOSE to believe… 🎶

From the song, “Enough. Worthy. Deserving.” by Suzan Alakas

Mindset such a HUGE topic, that we here at Growtharmony have devoted a whole MONTH to mindset work! Keep reading to discover how to:

✅ Take a rest from the constant chatter in your head

✅ Get awareness on the beliefs that are holding you back

✅ Shift out a limiting mindset and develop a strong mindset  

So that you can find success and joy in your life! 🤩

✨ In this article, we show you 13 ways to get started with mindset work! ✨

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• Originally written: 29 September 2023
• Last updated: 29 September 2023
• Written by: Suzan Alakas

Suzan is Growtharmony’s Founder and Editor-In-Chief. She is passionate about spreading the amazing work and inspiring stories of heart-centered, women entrepreneurs with effective, kind communication. When Suzan’s not writing, finding leverage points or learning something new - you can find her in the garden, playing in the snow with her family, or in the kitchen cooking up a nourishing meal!

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Doing Lots of Work, but Not Seeing a Lot of RESULTS? ✨

Each day I chat with women and mom entrepreneurs doing amazing heart-led work, and I hear over and over again about how you want time and money freedom in your life - but most days, it feels like the results aren’t coming as fast as you would like them to.

Do you ever think:

• “I’m trying so hard but things just aren’t working”

• “What am I doing wrong?"

• “How do I get out of my own way?”

 
You’ve tried so many different strategies and just don’t know what to do anymore. 

And distractions, procrastination and the negative talk just aren’t helping.

You want to change, but it’s not that easy.

You try hard and see some progress in the short term, but then revert back to your own ways.

Why is it so hard to get the results you want?

SIMPLE SCIENCE Behind Making Progress On Your Goals 🌱

Rapid advances in neuroscience have shown us that a conflict that exists in our brains – a push and pull that occurs between our desires and our fears.

So what that means to you, is that while you’re conscious trying to do the things to grow your business and find family/work/life balance – you’re subconsciously stopping yourself by hiding, procrastinating, getting distracted and spending your time on not-so-important things!

It’s like trying to drive a car with one foot on the gas, and one foot on the break! YIKES! 😲

Technical and scientific advances in humanity are allowing us to shift from a fear based, survival-based species into a more intentional, growth-based and conscientious species. (Which is amazing and beautiful and exciting!✨✨✨)

But your mindset is lagging behind.

It keeps you comfortable and safe, but at the same time is holding you back.

This is why changing your mindset through mindset work is a major ingredient in your recipe for success, and essential work for your mind to catch up with our rapid evolution of technology.

My JOURNEY With Mindset Work

I’ve been an enthusiast of mindset work ever since I was handed the book “Think and Grow Rich” when I was 23 years old. It was a life-jarring, but exciting introduction to the concept that my mind and thoughts – not just my actions - influence my outcomes! 🤩

Over the years, I’ve witnessed the field of “Mindset work” spill over from the fringe self-development communities into yoga studios in every city, business forums and mainstream news.

(Along with the phrase “mindset work”, you may hear it being called healing work, energy work, or tapping into your intuition. They all refer to giving intentional attention to altering our thought patterns - and subsequently our emotions and actions.)

Undergoing therapy or seeing a psychologist used to imply that someone was crazy, but the benefits of mindset work have caught on. Celebrities, athletes, and politicians started to endorse this work, and the stigma was lifted.

In the last 20ish years, I’ve tried out about 50 different mindset and healing modalities! 😊

I’m excited to pull together 13 of them for you here in one place, and in an easy to navigate format for you to explore.

And to make this even easier, I’ve put them into 3 categories!

So first, let’s look at the different categories of mindset work and what makes them so powerful.

Mindset Work Category 1: MENTAL REST

When you’re so caught up in your day, have 100 things to do, and your attention is being pulled in many different directions, you can unknowingly fall into an overwhelmed and anxious state, where your body is on constant alert. This is mentally and physically exhausting!

Quieting the conscious mind is a way to relax.

It’s giving yourself permission to step back, to declutter your thoughts and to embrace the calming quiet of your body.

Allowing yourself to experience stillness inside, even when the outside world is moving at a rapid pace.

You might have heard this type of mindset work called meditation, mindfulness, being present, or focusing on your senses.

It is powerful because it allows you rest, and can stop the almost never-ending stream of thoughts in your head. There is also the added benefit of temporarily releasing what is on your mind and creating space for new ideas to flow in.

Scientists tell us this type of mindset work slows down the action of the prefrontal cortex in our brain – the thought and analysis center. We shift out of alertness and enter a calmer state and our brains actually create a different wavelength of brainwaves. The positively affects our neurochemistry into a state that is more relaxed and receptive.  

Spiritually, some say we are connecting to our higher selves, or a higher power. 😊

As you cultivate a practice that gives you a nourishing pause, you'll be able to use this type of mindset for relaxation, re-alignment, internal guidance and connection to your higher power.

It also creates a long enough pause to do Category 2 mindset work, which is….

Mindset Work Category 2: MENTAL AWARENESS

This category of work is about bringing hidden thoughts and beliefs out of your subconscious, and into your conscious.

It allows you to connect with your inner world, acknowledge your fears and your doubts, and bring them to surface.

Since our bodies try to preserve as much energy as possible as a survival method, most of our thoughts and actions occur on auto-pilot - without us consciously even thinking about them!

Ranging from our heart beating, to breathing, to picking up our toothbrush with our dominant hand to brush our teeth, to the words and phrases we use, to the stories we tell about ourselves - these actions and thoughts are learned through repetition and then repeated automatically as the messages move along the neural pathways in our brains.

In order to change, we first need to become aware of the underlying habits and beliefs that we want to change.

As these habits and beliefs live in our subconscious, bringing them into your conscious awareness is a powerful practice. Once you are aware of your thoughts, you can choose to change them with Category 3 work…

Mindset Work Category 3: SHIFTING THOUGHTS

With Mindset Work category 3, we are giving our brain new inputs; positive, empowering inputs to shift your thoughts, beliefs, stories and even your identity.

This is how you can change at the subconscious level.

Embracing the belief that YOU can transform your reality, one thought at a time will literally change your life.

This is because neuroscience shows that the brain is constantly changing, replacing old ideas and beliefs with new ones. Your brain is adjusting and molding itself to adapt to the inputs that we give it.

For example, if you believe you are NOT a good enough salesperson to sell your products, and consider yourself a “bad salesperson”, mindset work can shift your beliefs so that you believe you ARE a good enough salesperson to sell your products. Then you will consider yourself a “good salesperson”.

THEN, you think differently because have the identity of a “good salesperson”, and your actions will change to align with what a “good salesperson” does – learn selling skills and sell well.  

13 Examples of Mindset Work

The following is a sampling of mindset work that fall within the three categories above.

These are techniques that I have personal tried myself. Some have worked better for me than others – and these could be for a variety of reasons.

Perhaps because of the effectiveness of the modality itself.

Or because of my own skills/lack of skill!

How I resonated with the teacher or the technique.

I believe there is no one size fits all, and I invite you to explore the modalities that resonate with you and your personal situation! 😊

I am not a professional therapist, and these are not given as medical advice. They are simply a list of the mindset techniques that I’ve experienced myself, and pulled together in one place for easy reference.

Enjoy!

WRITING

Writing changes our intangible, fleeting thoughts into a tangible recorded version. If you feel like your mind is confused, chaotic or repeating the same things, writing your thoughts and ideas out with pencil/pen and paper may help you find clarity and order.

Here are some types of mindset work that involves writing.

1. Prompt Journaling:
Prompt journaling is like having an ultra-trustworthy friend who listens to your deepest thoughts without any response or judgment! You select prompt, usually a question or an idea, and write your response. In this way, you can explore your feelings and thoughts about the prompt, bringing greater awareness of your thoughts and beliefs.

2. Stream of Consciousness Journaling:
Steam of Consciousness is a practice to write every single thought that comes to your mind as it comes up. It’s almost like a river, flowing freely with thoughts, ideas and inspirations. While this process usually starts in the conscious mind, you can often access your subconscious thoughts as you write more and more. This is a category 2 type of mindset work to bring hidden thoughts to the surface, and possibly find clarity and insight as well!

3. Shadow Journaling / Shadow Work:
Shadow work alludes to exploring the dark and hidden parts of ourselves. Most of us carry within us emotions of shame, guilt, unworthiness, or other “unwanted” aspects of ourselves that are longing for love, recognition, forgiveness, and acceptance. Through prompts designed to explore these hidden aspects, you can gain greater awareness of your beliefs, give yourself love and compassion, and move towards healing.

MINDFULNESS

In the Summer 2021 Issue of Growtharmony Magazine, Kim Seppälä introduced us several definitions of mindfulness. Here she shares a practical perspective of mindfulness:

“Let’s say, you go out for a walk and it begins to rain. The usual - automatic - response might sound like this: “Here we go again, another gray, rainy day. Why can’t the sun shine more...” And in a matter of seconds, our mind has placed all kinds of judgments and negative labels on our experience. The mindful version might sound like this: “Oh no, rain again. Why can’t the sun shine for once? Wait a moment, I’m judging this experience. Can I be more open to accepting reality as it is right now? Hmm, let’s see. Ok, I feel some raindrops on my skin. I don’t like it, but actually, it doesn’t really matter. Now I feel my body shivering from the cold... Wow, I feel really alive, I’m acutely aware of my body and of the surrounding nature. Ok, maybe I can take a deep breath and just feel this moment even though it’s raining...

As demonstrated, mindfulness isn’t positive thinking. You don’t have to LIKE the present moment to be mindful; it’s about accepting reality as it is, including your own reaction to whatever you are experiencing.”

Meditation is a popular mindfulness practice, and Kim also shares various ways to practice mindfulness that are not meditation. Here is an excerpt of 3 of those, and you can read the full article by getting your free subscription to Growtharmony Magazine here.

4. Mindful Dancing

“A really simple way of exploring mindfulness is to choose some music that you like, and start to move your body intuitively. Start with small, slow movements, so that you have time to really sense into what your body feels like as you move. Turn your attention inward, to the sensations in your body. You can keep your eyes open or closed while you dance. Listen to the music and feel how it is touching your body and mind. Enjoy the sensuality of the movement and the sensuality of being alive. Let your body, not your head, choose the movements. Once you’re tuned in with your body awareness, you can also make faster, bigger movements. If you get distracted by thoughts, gently redirect your attention to your breath or to your body sensations."

5. Mindful Walking

“Similar to dancing, this practice uses physical movement as a way to practice mindfulness. However, unlike in the dance practice, in walking meditation or mindful walking, you pay more attention to your physical surroundings. You might gently gaze around you and notice the colors that you see. You might listen to your footsteps against the pavement or against the earth. You might focus your conscious awareness on the sounds in your environment, perhaps listening to bird song or the sound of insects. You might close your eyes for a moment and smell the air, feel the wind against your skin, taste the humidity of the air, and so on... Whenever you notice yourself getting pulled into unconscious thinking, simply redirect your focus on the five physical senses. Remember not to label or judge your surroundings as pleasant or unpleasant, but simply take in the aliveness and the versatility, the physical sensations and textures of your surroundings.”

6. Mindful Eating

“Mindful eating is all about giving our full attention to this often rushed necessity of staying alive. Especially if we have a complex relationship with food, with our weight, or with family meals, mindful eating can be a healing practice. Mindful eating simply means being fully present in the act of eating, without distractions such as watching TV or scrolling social media on our smart phones while we eat. Mindful eating could also be called sensual eating, for it means fully savouring each flavour and sensation. We can also practice gratitude while we are eating, thanking Earth and our community for the food that keeps us nourished.”

VISUALIZATION

Using our dominant sense of vision, we can prep our brains for the outcome we desire – either by creating a picture of the desired outcome in our minds, or a representation of the desired outcome in a physical way.

Here are a few ways to do visualization:

7. Segment Intenting:
Introduced by Abraham Hicks, segment intending is the practice of imagining a future part of your day unfolding in a way that you want it to. If you have a meeting coming up, you can take a few moments before the meeting to visualize a productive meeting with the outcome that you desire. This primes the brain for a positive series of events, and can serve as an anchor or reminder to stay focused on the type of experience that you would like.

8. Mental Screen:
Close your eyes and image a large screen in front of you. On this screen is the movie that you get to direct and star in. You can imagine past or future events, creating joyful and fulfilling images and experiences that you would like to remember. This technique has been discussed in Jose Silva’s work, Vishen Lakhiani’s work and has also been used by top athletes to repeatedly “see” themselves achieving their goals.

9. Vision Board:
The purpose of a vision board is to visually represent your goals on a physical board to focus your mind on your desired outcomes. By displaying the vision board in a place where you can see it many times a day, you are reminded of the things that you want to achieve, acquire and experience. This creates the familiarity in your brain to prime it for seeing opportunities aligned with your goals, plus “The process reduces the [physiological] fear response to any new situation or person, making you more likely to take healthy risks, collaborate and embrace opportunity,” neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart says.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) / Tapping

10. EFT:
EFT is a bit like acupuncture without needles, and involves a series of tapping on various areas of your body to release emotional energy blockages. According to Christine Michele Murray, EFT Practitioner and Master Trainer, EFT often works when nothing else will to overcome fears, phobias, addictions cravings, anxiety, trauma, abuse, physical pain, self-image / confidence, chronic Illness and more.

Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)

11. NLP:
NLP allows us to understand and tap into the language of the subconscious mind. Richard Bandler and Tony Robbins are some of the the most prominent coaches to use NLP to shift their clients out of unwanted behaviors by leveraging language and actions that the subconscious mind actually understands.

In the Spring 2022 Issue of Growtharmony Magazine, Yvonne Westerlund, NLP Master, Professional coach, Mental Trainer and Licensed Neuropsychiatric Coach shared this NLP technique to help free yourself from a bad feeling:

Be open about how you feel.

• Describe the bad feeling.
• Show yourself where in your body this feeling sits.
• Feel its weight - is it heavy or light?
• Imagine holding this feeling in your hand.
• Stand up tall, and then throw it as far away from you as possible.

What happened? How strong is this feeling in you now? Is the weight getting a bit lighter perhaps?

If it is still there, do this one more time.

Hypnosis

Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of hypnosis because they believe they will be made to do something they don’t want to do. Or that the hypnotist will take over total control of their actions. The hypnotherapy that I’ve experienced has always reinforced that I am in control of the situation, and rather than “taking over” my mind, the hypnotist helps me to quiet the active, conscious part of my mind, and open up the subconscious part of my mind so it’s open to suggestions that are aligned with my goals.

12. Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT):
According to their website, “Rapid Transformational Therapy® (RTT®) combines the most beneficial hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, NLP, CBT, and neuroscience principles. Root Cause therapy is an approach to treatment that focuses on resolving significant past events believed to be interfering with a person’s present mental and emotional wellness.”

In my experience with RRT, I have entered a hypnotic state though a guided hypnosis, and then “revisited” memories of my youth with my current perspectives as a compassionate adult.

13. Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT):
Founded by Jon Connolly after he was disillusioned by traditional talk therapies that were ineffective with his clients, Rapid Transformational Therapy combines hypnosis and other methods to get deeper into the mind for profound shifts.

“To survive and thrive, the mind causes behavior/reaction to happen within our bodies and minds. Since the mind operates the autonomic nervous system and causes these behaviors, we can use the mind to shift them, increasing healing in the body, mind, and even relieving physical pain. RRT utilizes communication with the participant in a way that speaks to the deeper level of the mind, both conscious and subconscious, which allows for change to occur within the whole mind, not just the intellectual part. It is a precise, gentle, and even enjoyable method of clearing emotional and physical disturbances, allowing the nervous system to experience more ease in life.” -https://www.rapidresolutiontherapy.com/rrt-perspective

In Summary

There are MANY ways to do mindset work, though most fall into 3 main categories of Mental Rest, Mental Awareness and Shifting Thoughts.

Whether you’re writing, visualizing, using mindfulness work, using verbal or physical cues, or using a different method, there are hundreds of ways to become aware of your beliefs and thoughts, and change them into ones that are most beneficial to you! 💪

We’ll continue to update this page with more resources, so check back here periodically!

Sending you good vibes as you work on your mindset and create the life of your dreams! 🤩

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