Let’s Get Growing: Adopting a Growth Mindset for Your Mental Health

Here at Kells, we understand that everybody has mental health. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA; 2020) says that mental health is:

“…a state of well-being, and we all have it. Just like we each have a state of physical health, we also each have our mental health to look after.  It’s not just about surviving, it’s about thriving. It’s enjoying life, having a sense of purpose, and being able to manage life’s highs and lows.”

See the CMHA’s website for more information: https://cmha.ca/mental-health-what-is-it-really/

We believe that we all can strengthen our mental health. We also know that even the smallest of steps in the right direction can make all the difference. This way of thinking can be called ‘adopting a growth mindset’.

What is a growth mindset?

When we adopt a growth mindset, we believe:

The way we feel today doesn’t have to be the way we always feel.
We can grow no matter where we start.
Little steps in the right direction matter.
We are not static! We can change our habits and behaviours.
We can learn new skills and tools.

Having a growth mindset doesn’t mean that we always feel upbeat and positive. It means that we know that we are growing even when it’s difficult.

How can I adopt a growth mindset?

Adopting a growth mindset is all about training our brains to recognize growth opportunities. When we face obstacles, it’s easy to beat ourselves up. We might think, “What’s wrong with me?” and be hard on ourselves. This is called negative self-talk.

When practising a growth mindset, we work to change our negative self-talk into positive, growth-focused self-talk. So, instead of thinking, “What’s wrong with me?”, we can ask, “What do I need right now?”

This image by @sylvieduckworth on Twitter, has some great examples of how to change your language to practise your growth mindset.

Stay tuned…

Up next on Tips and Tools, we’ll be exploring how to set SMART goals. We’ll show you how to combine your growth mindset with goal-setting to continue strengthening your mental health.