How a Growth Mindset Prevents Overwhelm

Being “good” at something is not a trait. It’s a skill. You can learn to be great at anything. But only if you believe it. 

I used to believe that if I was good or bad at something, it was a permanent state of being, a trait I was born with or not. “I’m not good at math.” “I’m not good at science.” “I’m not athletic.” “I’m not…”.

This is called a fixed mindset. A growth mindset, in contrast, is realizing you can become smarter and more talented through time and effort. You’ve probably heard of fixed versus growth mindsets. Carol Dweck pioneered the concept.

Realizing that abilities and knowledge can be developed and mastered is critical for high performance, personally and professionally. Adopting a growth mindset will improve your mental and physical health. It does this by decreasing stress and negative self-talk. You become more empathetic and have a stronger sense of confidence and self-compassion. Altogether that helps decrease your stress and improve your resilience. As a result, you feel less overwhelmed by work and non-work stressors. 

Here are a few ways to begin cultivating a growth mindset:

• Practice seeing failure as a step in the learning process rather than a sign of inability. Failure isn’t permanent. 

• Practice positive self-talk rather than talking smack about yourself. 

• Practice gratitude and cultivate a sense of purpose. This will help keep challenges in perspective. 

“Love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning.” – Carol Dweck