How to Change Your Mindset this Season

Cocoon Coat in Grey, wearing a 2 | Turtleneck Sweater in Black, wearing a small | Straight Leg Crop Pants in White, wearing a 0 (normal size) | Boss Boots, order a half size up | Double Buckle Belt, wearing S/M | Wool-Cashmere Blanket Scarf (would be a great gift!) | Chevron Crossbody | Hoop Earrings, similar pair here | Lipstick in 9 to 5

Something I’ve really come to understand more these past few months is that mindset is quite literally EVERYTHING.

After going through a tough postpartum period where I didn’t feel like myself, was exhausted constantly and wondered if this career path was the right one, I felt lost. Stuck and overall, just kinda bummed out. Like, what was next?

Somehow the universe knew I needed some direction and a few different books and podcast episodes landed in my lap, leading me in a new direction. No, not job wise, just a different direction with how I think each day.

They’ve really shaped how my daily mindset and how I go into everything each day. Is it perfect? Far from it. I still have days, or even weeks where I accidentally let my mindset shift to negativity go about my days and ho

It’s not just about thinking positive and staying positive, but it’s showing and living your life as if all these positive things have already happened to you. And, feeling honored to do some of the things that you sometimes don’t want to do. I’m realizing now this is sort of a harder concept to explain than it sounded in my head. But, does that make sense?

Here’s an example, one I mentioned earlier this week on stories, and a mindset shift that has brought me SO MUCH peace and grace as a parent.

Owen was sick this weekend, he woke up Monday still sick so I kept him home from school. A year ago, I would have thought, “ughhhh, this is so inconvenient, I’m going to get so far behind and this week is going to be so stressful because I have to stay home with him. This is so annoying.” And, then I would proceed to be annoyed, frustrated, short-tempered and make the whole day a big, frustrating process.

But, yesterday was different (and it felt good!). I thought, “I’m so thankful that I have a job where I can set my schedule and don’t have a boss to report to so that I can stay home and snuggle with my sweet baby. I know he feels better when I’m around while he’s sick and I’m so glad that none of my work has to be done today!” And, our day was wonderful! Long, because being home with a sick 2-year old is physically exhausting (especially when he says “mama, hold me!” every 5 minutes and he’s 30 lbs.), but wonderful because he got to rest, play with mama, snuggle on the couch and read his favorite books.

For me, the day was far more enjoyable because I didn’t put any added pressure on myself. I knew that my to-do list was shot, so I did what I could do with him around (laundry and dishes) and put the rest on another day’s list.

5 Ways to Change Your Mindset

Reframe Your Perspective

Just like the example above, reframing how you view a certain situation can make all the difference. It’s not about putting up with something you don’t like, it’s about seeing the positives in it, finding the silver lining, and then finding peace and grace.

At the end of the day, we are 100% in control of the way we think. It can be hard to change your patterns, especially if you’re naturally a cynic or pessimistic person (I can be this way sometimes), but the more you practice, the more natural it becomes.

Come at Everything with Gratitude

If you only take one thing away from this post, let it be this! A grateful heart and mind is easily the thing that keeps me happiest and pushes me forward in all areas of my life, even when I’m behind, frustrated or stuck.

When you’re grateful for what you already have, you realize you just don’t need as much as you thought. It also makes me calmer, happier and more at peace with everything around me, which is great because my world can be so fast-paced sometimes.

It’s not enough to just say you’re grateful for something though. You need to stop, close your eyes and think about the things you’re grateful for and then sit with that feeling of peace or happiness or joy—whatever it is. Feeling the gratitude does so much more for you than just writing it or saying it!

Feeling Good Feels Good

Okay, this one sounds obvious, but I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met or worked with in the past that seem to really enjoy feeling bad. I even had a moment of this during that rough postpartum period. It was like my frustration defined me, and it felt good for a second, until it didn’t.

But you know what always feels good?! FEELING GOOD!!!

It fills you with energy, peace, love and contentment and who wouldn’t want to feel that way?! When I’m vibing in this feel good zone, it’s as if nothing can bring me down. It’s like a high, haha! Opportunities present themselves, good things happen and basically, I just feel #blessed and lucky all the time. Sounds nice, right?!

Well, good news—you have the choice in how you feel everyday, so why not choose good?

Journal Regularly

One of the easiest ways for me to stay in this high vibe zone is to journal regularly. I’ve tried journaling on and off for years, but more recently I’ve picked it back up and have a new technique I’ve been doing. I’ll share it soon as it’s worth it’s own post!

I start with gratitudes and for about 5-10 minutes, I write down everything that pops into my head. It’s a little different everyday, but as I’m sure you can imagine, there’s a lot of repetitiveness too. I like this though, it makes me more aware of what I really value!

The next section is all about what I want for my life. I always cover a few areas—family/home, career, finances and health. The key here is to write the things as if you already have them. “I’m so happy and grateful now that I have …….” —even when you don’t have it yet. This allows me to hop into the feeling of what it would be like if I did have those things. Moving into that mental space makes me feel good and attracts your goals to you faster.

Last, I write 3-5 actionable steps I can take to get to those goals faster—sometimes this is repetitive too. And, this isn’t always physical things to check off my list. It can be reminders for how to live out my life on a daily basis too.

Stop your Negative Rants

Some people literally only see the bad. Personally, I know a few in my life right now and it is really difficult for me to listen to them. Not because I don’t want to hear where they’re struggling, but because they’re constantly complaining about the same things. But, here’s the deal—they make NO EFFORT to change the pattern. They keep doing the same thing, hoping it will work this time, and it doesn’t. I’ve even suggested changes to them, and they’ve been unwilling to try.

At the risk of sounding harsh, I’m going to be straight with you. If you are constantly being negative, seeing the worst and focusing on the bad stuff in your life, the universe will deliver more of that to you. Why? You are attracting that stuff with all those crummy thoughts and words! Again, you, and only you have the power to change the way you speak to yourself or out loud.

Lastly, this outfit! Honestly, this post doesn’t have much to do with it, but I’ve was feeling great that day, so I figured why not pair this up! I’ve been loving styling these white pants for winter. They look so chic, and I’ve learned that I love the straight leg crop more than the wide leg! Also, my sweater is super soft! Such a good basic black turtleneck—I’m styling it again tomorrow on Instagram, stay tuned!

BTW, how to take care of yourself post-baby, and 7 ways to practice gratitude in the morning.