Why Perspective Shifts Matter

I went to a couple of events this past week, and the idea of changing your perspective came up at both. So naturally I thought I would write a post about it! Sometimes we become so used to our life, situations, thoughts, and feelings that it takes some perspective shifts to help shake things up. So below I decided to write about some ways you can shake things up!

Turn Problems Into Opportunities

When you look around your life and feel frustrated with all the problems—pause. All problems are opportunities to find a solution, but so often we get so caught up in the negative emotion it is causing us that we don’t give ourselves the insight to obtain a perspective shift. Look at your life and ask: where is there an opportunity for a solution?

Focus on What’s Going Right

Notice what you can do, not what you can’t. What is going great in your life? Our brains are programmed to look for danger, therefore, we are always going to naturally want to focus on the negative. However, that doesn't mean we can’t also focus on all the good! This is why a gratitude practice is a great exercise!

Dealing With Negative Thoughts

My thoughts are so negative, what do I do? First, building awareness is always the first step, so the fact that you are aware you want to change your thoughts—take five seconds to celebrate! Oftentimes, we let our thoughts run around like they own our mind, but we actually have control over them.

So, once you become aware of your most dominating negative thoughts, write them down. Next to them, write the truth! And if you can’t come up with the truth, ask your friends. We can be so mean to ourselves that the thoughts seem real. THIS IS A LIE! Push back. Don’t let your thoughts dominate your day!

Reconnect With Positive Feelings

My feelings are so negative, it is all I can focus on—when was there a time your feelings were positive? What were you doing? Who were you with? Why did you experience positive emotions? Let yourself daydream. You can always tap into a time when you had positive emotions—they are always there in your memories.

Shift Out of Lack Mentality

I don’t have time or I don’t have money—hello, lack mentality! This one gets me every time. Think about a situation where you say to yourself I don’t have time for xyz. Now, instead of saying you don’t have time, start to say it’s not a priority.

Example:
“I don’t have time to wash the dishes.” 
Rephrase: “Washing the dishes is not a priority right now.”

Stop thinking you have to be everything to everyone. It’s okay to make the dishes a priority tomorrow instead of today. This does two things: it shows you what you actually prioritize in your life, and it helps you decide if those are the right things to prioritize.