Change your mindset, change your life: 5 mental attitudes to start 2024 right
As a year ends and a new one begins, we hope that the coming days will be happier and brighter. To ensure that it will be a memorable year for you, consider cultivating these positive mental attitudes to pull you through whatever stage you are in your adaptation in Canada:
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Develop resilience
Resilience is our ability to bounce back after going through a challenge. It’s how we cope with negative events in our lives.
For us newcomers, facing changes and challenges are the top two things that we experience in the first few years of adapting to Canada. Some changes can be tangible, like the cold weather, or intangible like cultural norms. To be able to handle these well and stay on top, we have to be mentally and physically strong. You will need to develop habits that will keep you grounded. These are things like having realistic expectations on yourself, being patient and kind when things don’t go your way, and having a regular self-care regimen.
An exercise for you: Make your mantra for 2024. What is a mantra? It is a sentence or a group of words that you repeat to yourself as motivation. It’s something that can anchor you when you’re in a tough situation. It can be as simple as a bible verse if you’re religious, a favourite quote, or even a single word that is meaningful for you. Here are some examples:
- Just do it!
- I am enough.
- Don’t give up. Great things take time.
- A negative mind will never give you a positive life.
- Breathe!
Suggested reading: How to deal with the stages of adaptation and come out on top
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Cultivate an open mind
Have you noticed how kids adapt faster than adults? In most immigrant families, the youngest ones learn the language, gain friends, and adjust to school within just a few weeks upon arriving. Kids find it easier to adapt because they are open to learning. Compared to adults, they are not set in their ways yet which allows them to be more adaptable.
Being open is not easy but it can be done. Start by listening without judgement. Learn to face diverse ideas and beliefs. Be open to different perspectives and ask questions respectfully and with genuine curiousity. That’s how you’ll learn and grow!
An exercise for you: Canada is home to more than 200 ethnicities. Learn about one ethnicity per week or per month. You can start on this page: Ethno-Cultural Groups. It features the immigration story to Canada of 26 immigrant groups.
Suggested reading: “Pardon me!” Understanding and adapting to Canadian social norms
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Be self-directed
We won’t survive without the help of family, friends and mentors in our first few days. It’s good to listen, take their advice, and ask for their help. However, they can help you only up to a certain point. Your success depends largely on your drive to learn and explore (or even create) opportunities on your own. Being self-directed involves having a set of goals and a plan of action. It also needs persistence and a “can-do” attitude.
An exercise for you: Have you ever tried an online course? Think of a skill (or a hobby) you would like to learn this year and look for a free online course.
Suggested reading: 5 best techniques to boost self-directed learning
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Embrace lifelong learning
Newcomer or not, everyone has to embrace lifelong learning. We are living in a society where changes come rapidly. The only way to stay on top of these changes is to learn and develop new skills continuously. The good news is that learning opportunities are everywhere! Whether formal or informal, you will never run out of venues to learn for your personal or professional growth. What is crucial to becoming a lifelong learner is your willingness to learn and developing the intrinsic motivation to improve.
An exercise for you: Ask about opportunities for professional development in your workplace. Find out about programs you may be interested in (and have time for) and speak to your supervisor about it. Being proactive about your learning needs is a good way to start the year. It will also let your boss know that you are serious about self-improvement.
Suggested reading: Reach your goals faster – 5 steps to a personal learning plan
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Stay positive
Scientific studies have proven that optimists live longer and healthier lives. Having an upbeat disposition is credited for low incidences of early death and the absence of coronary heart disease. It is important to note that “optimism” for those in the study meant “confidence in yourself and in their problem-solving capabilities” and not a naïve view where they expect that everything will miraculously go their way.
In our newcomer journey, there will be many periods where we are less confident of our abilities and doubtful of the decisions we make. Maintaining a positive mindset will help us get through these rough patches. When you are positive, you have the ability to see the good in any bad situation. This will motivate you to take action to move out of the situation that brings you down.
An exercise for you: Start the habit of thinking of one thing that you are grateful for before you fall asleep. It can be anything from the biggest to the smallest thing! Doing this everyday will train your mind to look for the positive in any situation. It will also make you a much calmer and happier person.
Suggested reading: 7 success secrets for Canadian immigrants
Have a great 2024!
Sources: 5 science-backed strategies to build resilience, Kira M. Newman, Greater Good Magazine; Lifelong learning, Skills you need and Studies have shown that optimists live longer and healthier lives; The superrich are superoptimists, Rainer Zitelman, Forbes. Accessed December 17, 2019.