The Important Effects Of Mindset

By Alexandra Blanck on September 24, 2016

“Is the glass half full or half empty?” is a common question that is asked in psychology to test the kind of mindset and perception a person has. Who cares if the glass is half full or half empty? Why does that matter, and what does it have to do with life?

It matters because mindset matters. How one perceives something has a direct correlation to how it affects them mentally and emotionally. Mindset is important in the way one feels, and gives the person power to decide how events impact them.

By www.Pixel.la Free Stock Photos (coffee-cup-water-glass) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

A Ted Talk I watched recently talked about how mindset is key. If someone looks at life with a glass half empty kind of mindset, they are going to see life in a negative way and experience less happy or positive emotions. However, someone who looks at life in a glass half full kind of mindset will experience more positive feelings throughout their lifetime. How one thinks about an event, whether it is positive or negative, will impact how the event affects them. Negative perceptions lead to negative feelings within a person. Likewise, positive feelings release neurotransmitters that leave a person with a happy sensation.

This is an important topic because many people do not realize how much control they have over how things make them feel. Many people get caught up in the negative emotions and feel helpless in situations. It amazes me how powerful the mind is. The mind can completely alter the situation based on how it is perceived by the person.

For example, if I fail a test I can look at the situation in a couple different ways. The first way is to feel crushed by the failure and believe that I am not good at the subject and will not do well in the class. The second way is to think about how well I studied and where I went wrong, so I know what to change for next time. The latter scenario turns the failure into a valuable learning experience, while the first scenario makes the failure seem insurmountable. The first scenario creates self-doubt and a lack of confidence, while the second shows the ability to accept failure and make a change.

Mindset is everything. It can make one’s life positive or negative; it all depends on the perception one creates. Mindset is especially important in college, when we are all busy, stressed and trying to balance the many facets of our lives. Set a goal to start noticing your mindset, and try to make the conscious decision to have a positive one.

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