5 Reasons Mindset is Everything in Wellness and Life (Backed By Science!)

You’ve probably seen or heard the phrase “mindset is everything” a lot lately—and for good reason. Your mindset creates the lens through which you think, feel, interact, and behave. In that way, it really is everything—and science can prove it. 

For example, recognizing how I perceive stress in my life over the past few years has been incredibly eye opening for me. Understanding when my negative mindset is coming from a place of lack, scarcity, overwhelm and helplessness allows me to shift to recognizing the challenge while also seeing the many ways in which I can tackle it or make changes to support myself. This has been a huge personal growth area for me and has made a significant impact in my life.

To help you embrace the idea that mindset is everything, let’s look at just how powerful a positive mindset actually is for creating a healthier and happier life.

Proof That Mindset is Everything

A mindset shift starts with your perspective, which in turn impacts how you navigate circumstances, make sense of experiences, strive toward every goal, learn from any failure, and confront obstacles.

1. Feel Less Stressed (Yes, it’s possible!)

Feeling less stressed may come down to how you think about stress, according to psychologist Alia Crum, PhD, an assistant professor at Stanford University. In one particular study, a group of employees in a downsizing financial company were told that stress could help rather than hurt them in an effort to reduce their stress. It sounds crazy, right? 

Well, turns out, it works! This group of employees reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, along with an increase in optimism versus the control group. While we don’t believe empty mantras and affirmations can change your life, we do believe shifting your perspective from a negative to positive attitude does—and this is one great example of just how powerful that can be.

In fact, I know that when I’m stressed with an overwhelming workload and I remind myself that the stress about my job pales in comparison to the stress that others are facing, I immediately gain perspective. Similarly, when I focus on the fact that I am grateful for work that challenges me and helps me grow and adjust to a positive outlook, I can embrace the challenge in a different way. By removing negative beliefs surrounding stepping outside my comfort zone, I find new opportunities to embrace that positive growth mindset.

2. Be More Resilient

Growth mindset, the idea that you can change the way you think (as opposed to a fixed mindset, in which what you believe cannot change), is a key element of feeling more resilient and persistent as you manage the ups and downs of life. (Let’s be honest, we all have them!) 

A study of 2,500 students found that those in the growth mindset group scored lower on “mental health issues” and “stress due to life events” than those in the fixed mindset group. As the research points out, this is because this healthy mindset “encourages healthy and adaptive ways of facing and tolerating anxiety, frustration, and disappointment, which promotes resilience.” 

So often, we feel we’re at the whim of life when we don’t have to. In fact, science says that our winning mindset can help us feel more resilient in the face of our failure.

3. Jump-Start Your Wellness Journey

How many times have you started working out just to stop days later? I’m very familiar with this back-and-forth dance; it’s one I did for many years before I found success with Pilates. Part of this back and forth may be about the way you set goals when you’re just starting out.

This research found that groups who were prescribed “low-and-liberal” exercise recommendations (vs. high-and-stringent) felt that their movement was more adequate. This meant that they were more likely to keep going and feel better about their health a week later.

A positive mindset is the idea that Lindywell built upon—and what ultimately helped me create consistency in my workout routine once and for all. When you can shift to the right mindset from “I need to work out hard for 60 minutes a day every day” to a more realistic goal, like, “I’ll just move my body for 10 minutes in any way that feels good” you’re much more likely to stick with it. 

At least that’s what I and thousands of Lindywell members have experienced!

4. Relieve Symptoms of Chronic Illness

Chronic illness is complex. What I’m not saying here is: it’s all in your head—and a healthy mindset can help relieve some of the symptoms experienced. A study from the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that if you have the belief in your healing outcome, the body will listen and even respond. 

This research found positive correlations between a growth mindset and functional improvements in the immune, cardiovascular, and neuroendocrine systems. What’s more, patients with type-1 diabetes, who believe their health can change, have lower blood sugar levels. The power of the mind-body connection and positive thoughts about your health cannot be overlooked.

5. Feel More Connected in Romantic Relationships

The right mindset is playing a critical role in your relationships, especially romantic ones. This collection of research explains that mindfulness not only enhances closeness and connections with a partner but when measured on the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), researchers found a positive association with relationship satisfaction.

Negative thoughts can often consume aspects of your relationship rooted in jealousy or insecurity. While not everything can be “fixed” with your mindset, you can shift the lens of how you view your relationship with positive thinking habits and balancing your emotional intelligence to find empathy in different situations. Being more mindful might help you overlook each little thing that aren’t quite perfect while creating an even deeper connection with your partner.

How to Work on Your Mindset

At Lindywell, we have two favorite ways to work on mindset: Pilates and breathwork classes. Why?

At Lindywell, we’re continually reframing fitness and our relationship to our bodies through the words we use in every single workout, email and video. Pilates is inherently a mindful movement that helps your fitness routine stick. We regularly remind our members to shift their mindset around not just the way they exercise, but how they think about perfection, happiness, strength, and so much more. By doing that, a strong mindset can be built around reframing setbacks as self improvement goals and reinvesting in yourself.

Similarly, breathwork encourages you to slow down and tune in with your positive thinking. When you close down all the tabs in your mind (I have a dozen open most times of the day!), you can understand what you’re actually thinking and feeling. That’s when you can begin shifting every belief and perspective that is impacting the way you live your life.

The reminder I always want to share, however, is that it’s not a one-and-done. As with any new routine, hard work and Consistently showing up on your mat or taking time to breathe with intention each week is the only way to reap the long-term benefits in your life.

If you want to start working on your mindset (while moving your body, feeling more confident, and so much more!), start your pilates free trial of Lindywell today. You’ll get instant access to hundreds of online pilates classes, dozens of guided breathwork sessions, and as well as all of our Lindywell recipes and pilates equipment for home! 

Final Thoughts: Your Mindset Matters

A person’s mindset is everything. Limiting beliefs impacts your mental, emotional, and physical wellness by shifting the lens through which you see the world. As such, your mindset influences how you overcome setbacks, embrace new opportunities, interact with others, and evolve as a human. Negative emotions are normal and human, but a positive growth mindset can lead to long term happiness despite the negative thinking in the moment. Don’t overlook this important aspect of your personal development if you want to live a happier, calmer, and more connected life.