Most of us walk in our daily lives with a pretty annoying and negative script playing in our heads. It always tells you unuseful things are “You are the worst at everything,” “People are judging you,” etc. While it’s okay to occasionally slip into this negative territory of self-doubts, if you are constantly stuck with these toxic mindsets, you have a problem to address.
That is because toxic mindsets restrict your growth and affect every aspect of your life. Negative thoughts lead to negative emotions, which motivate negative actions, and a vicious cycle soon sets in.
If this vicious cycle is not broken, it eventually leads to unhealthy effects on your mental, physical, and social health.
Now, snapping out of these toxic mindsets is way more difficult than it seems. However, recognizing and identifying them is a great first step. To help you get started, here are the three most common and self-sabotaging negative mindsets affecting your life.
3 Negative Mindsets That Are Restricting Your Growth
1. “Perfection or nothing.”
If you believe anything less than true perfection is a failure, you are losing out on so much joy
and satisfaction in your life. In most of our early years, we are taught to strive for the perfect A+ grades. Therefore, we grow up believing that anything less than that is not good enough.
However, as you grow up and mature, it is important to understand that a C is good or a B+ is excellent. You don’t have to strive to be perfect at everything. Now if you are a heart surgeon, sure, get that 100% pal, but if you are a marketing professional 80% conversion rate is awesome.
Now, this does not mean that mediocrity should be the goal. Yes, it is important to grow and put your best foot forward. But always remember that progress is incremental, and every small bit matters.
2. “Resting is lazy.”
The go-hard or go-home culture promoted by the much-celebrated hustle culture is one of the biggest reasons why most of us are under immense pressure today. The constant reminders are hustle culture doesn’t rest or sleep are reinforced every day by the world around us.
So, you are simply not allowed to stop – even if you want to, even if you are completely, utterly exhausted. And while doing all this, you must pretend that you love what you are doing.
But the truth is you are allowed to rest and rejuvenate. You are allowed to preserve your health and well-being. You are allowed to stop. The world does not get better with one more sleep-deprived individual. You don’t get better or grow as a person by neglecting your mental and physical health.
So, ask yourself how you are feeling, acknowledge what matters to you, and focus on what makes you fulfilled and happy.
Read more: 5 Inspiring Positive Mindset Podcasts
3. “I need to find approval in every person I meet.”
Human beings are social creatures. They feel happy and proud when people in their surroundings validate them. Gradually though, it becomes a habit to seek approval from everyone and anyone you meet.
And when someone doesn’t give you the positive affirmation you really need, you start to overthink everything that is wrong with you.
See, there is nothing wrong with being sweet and likeable, but if you are constantly putting yourself on the line and stressing yourself out about what others think about you, it’s unhealthy.
So, learn to feel a little confident about yourself. Learn to go ahead with your life choices even when people disapprove of them. Seek love and validation from yourself. Trust us, that’s the only approval that matters.
Read more: 3 Easy Ways To Practice Self-Love For Beginners
Conclusion:
Having a negative or toxic mindset can deeply affect your life, work, and relationships. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge and snap out of these mentalities. We hope this list of toxic mindsets will help you identify the ones that cloud your judgment every day.
Looking to develop a growth mindset. Here are the most powerful mindset shifts that can help you get started. To continue learning about mental health daily, subscribe to Your Mental Health Pal.