What is a Restorative Mindset? My definition of a Restorative Mindset is bringing a positive attitude towards consciousness and health with our feelings. This mindset allows us to be less in our heads and more in our hearts. I believe a restorative perspective is under the umbrella of our Spiritual Health. Spiritual Health is about looking at our health from the inside out.
We are spiritual beings having human experiences. So how do our experiences, both good and bad, relate to our health? They are spiritual issues. We can start identifying and understanding the triggers that put us in a place of fear, negative self-talk, limiting beliefs, comparative thinking, resisting change, and needing to always be right during this time of year. They are the doorway to health and healing if we can see the depth of their impact.
These are some the beliefs we tell ourselves because it has become so much part of our everyday lives during the holidays:
· Being busy during the holidays is normal and ok.
· Comparing ourselves to others during the holidays motivates us to do more.
· Gaining weight and eating badly during the holidays is just what happens.
Let go of negative self-talk and make space for gratitude!
How does Past Trauma interfere with Present Healing?
In a nutshell, your life reflects your thoughts, emotions, feelings, and beliefs. It is not only about changing your ideas but also the feelings that are attached to them. Often these feelings are there before the thoughts are formulated. Our pain and trauma from our early life create feelings and perceptions that become internalized as beliefs. Our pain can then affect how we show up in the world, express ourselves, what we allow into our consciousness, and ultimately fill our minds as thoughts. The holidays can bring so many of these past wounds into the present.
How Do Thoughts Help Shape Your Attitude?
Thought power is the key to creating your reality, but our feeling and emotions are significant in this equation. Everything you perceive, both good and bad, has its origin in the invisible, inner world of your thoughts and beliefs.
We have around 70,000 thoughts per day! Take a moment and think about the thoughts that run through your mind. Are they positive and uplifting or negative and self-defeating? For most of us, it is a little of both tippings on one side or the other. How do we practice more positive uplifting thoughts to have those dominating how we feel? The name of my business is Living Light. It is all about living more positive and lighter in life. Positive thoughts boost our spirit and tend to generate more positivity and happiness in your life. Choose light instead of dark. It takes practice to build this positive muscle but soon enough, your mind will go to the lighter side of life.
Restorative Mindset Goal
Think of 2 negative thoughts that hold you back during the holiday season. An example is allowing stress to take over my holidays when I travel and see all my family with divorced parents. This stress can be both past and current pain that I struggle with every year. Our head gets in the way. Write down a more positive thought (Empowering Decision) instead.
My empowering decision is I love my family and want to enjoy my time with them. I will enjoy my family and the time I get to spend with them remembering to be present with love. I don't need to know how I am going to do it. What I need to make sure do it finds daily evidence this is true.
Begin to notice the kind of thoughts you are having. Are you stuck in the negative? When they are anxious or stressed – pause, take a breath, catch the negative thinking that usually causes the perceived pain (the trigger). If you are comfortable doing it, share on the group page about some negative mindsets you are having and how you would like to develop a more positive mindset.
Thoughts and emotions are not the only problems; they are a symptom of the underlying feelings and disconnect at have been shoved down. We have to deal with all the debris blocking our way and ultimately keeping us in fear and not in love. To do this, we have to be compassionately present – this is a therapeutic mindset. Our spiritual practice takes time and spiritual time takes approach; changing our thoughts and attitude is a significant first step.
I wrote a blog, "Is Your Plate Too Full - Being Present", on this very subject. I encourage you to read through. There are lots of great tips for practical ways in which we can incorporate a healthy mindset into our day to day life, especially during the holidays.