By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara EdD PMHNP —
Do you feel like you are always repeating the same patterns even though you are trying really hard to make changes that positively impact your life? When this is happening, it’s important to remember that you are not a failure! You just haven’t figured out how to reframe your thoughts and actions and make the necessary changes that you need.
The Mentally STRONG Method can show you how to identify your goals or personal vision and figure out when you need to make changes in your thoughts and actions. It is important to decide what your goals are and what the positive outcomes of those goals are. Once you have that figured out, you must look at what you’ve been trying and why it isn’t working. You might have negative thoughts and actions that are standing in the way of your personal vision. Using the Mentally STRONG method to name these thoughts and actions will allow you to reframe your thinking and empower you to learn which behaviors are not serving you in a positive manner.
Maladaptive behaviors can be hard to recognize because you are so comfortable in your loop of negativity. For instance, if you continually try to keep your house organized but don’t make any changes to how you accomplish having an organized house, then you can start to feel frustrated. You tell yourself that you must just be a messy person, that it’s a part of your personality, and there is nothing you can do to change it. Once you get used to these negative thoughts, your behaviors will reflect that negativity, and you will start to expect less from yourself every time you fail to achieve your goals. This thought process is maladaptive and doesn’t empower you. The Mentally STRONG Method will teach you how to reframe your thinking by learning how to adopt a positive mindset when you don’t succeed.
If it feels like you have never been able to commit to lifestyle changes that empower you, it is easy to just keep doing the same thing over and over because you feel like you have no power to change. This could lead to you feeling more anxiety or depression. However, if you keep learning to adapt your mindset, you can pinpoint which thoughts do not benefit you. By doing so, you will be able to change the negative way you talk to yourself and your negative self-beliefs. Reframing your thinking will empower you to see yourself in a positive manner, which will help you change those negative patterns. At Mentally STRONG, we believe that everyone should feel empowered and that you absolutely can achieve empowerment.
Interested in learning more? Register for our Mentally STRONGer Course and learn the Mentally STRONG Method for yourself!