A GROWTH Mindset vs. a FIXED Mindset With Mental Health

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Most people don't even realize that they have a fixed mindset in regards to their mental health. A fixed mindset can keep you stuck feeling depressed or anxious. In this video you’re going to learn how to tell if you have a growth or a fixed mindset, how to develop a growth mindset in regards to mental health. And why having a growth mindset can completely change how you feel about your mental health.
Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset (which this video is based off of) said “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work - brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
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[starswift]

This is so true. Part of depression and anxiety is thinking you are stuck in it, and somehow it's all your own fault. Seeing it as a growth opportunity changes the perspective to a hopeful one. Thanks for these videos 🌹🙏💝

[anidadron]

I really wish you would (if you haven't already) do a video about elderly depression. Those of us in our elderly years have lives that are winding down due to degeneration of physical abilities, sometimes diminishing mental capabilities, and lower amounts of emotional energy. Some of us suffer from depression, loneliness, multiple illnesses, and sometimes poverty. When we're old and tired, what can we learn that will help us in the last years of our lives as they continue to narrow and wind down?

[mihaelaclaudiap..]

I had a fixed mindset and my life was a nightmare! Now I have a growth mindset and things flow perfectly (well almost perfect as perfection doesn't exists)! :)

[ARMYARCADE]

you're doing so well in spreading mental health awareness, as a psychology major and as a human being, I look upto you <3

[boisvertmustdieX]

Ironically, this creates both a positive and negative feedback loop. those with a fixed mindset will believe they are incapable of adopting the growth mindset, while those who have a growth mindset will have an easier time embracing the fact that growth with the right mindset is possible. It's taken me so long to break this negative feedback loop.

[ivurivurivur]

PSA- A growth mindset does NOT say that you're not allowed to deal with emotions. If you feel sad, you don't have to REPLACE it with an 'Oh, what can I learn from this?' mindset. Rather, you have to accept that you're feeling sad, move on, deal with it, and THEN ask yourself if you can learn anything from the situation that happened. And a BIG percentage of times, you can't learn anything from it, you can just move on.

*TL;DR- Don't make your growth mindset a coping mechanism, deal with your emotions fully.*

[juliecostello]

Thank you so much for referring to artists and painters as not just having "talent". My husband is a painter who dedicates 12 hours per day at times to draw and perfect his fine art. The problem is, most people become incredibly jealous that they cannot succeed in the same regard because they won't put that same amount of time in. It is so difficult for people to understand how much time and discipline that takes.

[hightechsystem_]

Anxiety and depression can arise due to being in abusive (rape), dangerous (war) or exploited (poverty) situation. I wish the video acknowledged that it’s not just a growth mindset that is something we had wrong with our posture. The societies we live in are dysfunctional and abusive at so many levels. Change has to also happen within social structures / community.

[Cheyloveslexington]

I used to have a growht mindset before i started university... when i was in my second semester of my first year uni i got a burn out and i suffer from really bad anxiety. This led me to have a fixed mindset. Your video inspired me to not be so negative all the time and be kind to myself. Thank you so much for your content <3 I will work my way towards a growth mindset again :D

[qazedc]

I've experienced anxiety and depression since I was 13 and I've always blamed and hated myself for it because its felt like there is something wrong with me. Recently I put together that I may have gotten some form of ptsd as a toddler after an incident happened and I was injured. In a study I read with a similar case study, a little boy ended up a little developmentally behind than his peers on the emotional front.

I guess it dawned on me how little control we have on how our environment and experiences shaped our brains - now it's our present self who has to live with the effects of all the accumulated stuff...and though it is hard every day i am choosing to stay patient with myself and learn the art of self forgiveness, love and care. It's taken me a long time to even get to where I am today.

[MrAbovetopsecret]

As someone who's currently working towards my master's in counseling and struggling with some mental health issues myself, these videos have been really helpful.

[Merle]

Done so much growth in the last thirteen years, anxiety still very high. Thanks growth!

[olekristianrannekleiv]

A person with a growth mindset believe he/she can learn at accomplish almost anything, however, This video ignores the struggles of having a growth mindset. If a person has a growth mindset and a life situation where the person is totally stuck (financially or through responsibilities), it can be very frustrating, the inner potential can feel trapped and life can feel limmited as the person do everything he/she can to progress in life while the actual progress is almost non exsistent.

[katkourtez]

YOU are indispensable! Thank you for making these succinct, clear and powerful pieces. Thank you for giving back!!! I'm forever grateful. My therapist moved on to "greener pa$ture$", and I still haven't found a replacement. But sucks what's out there even with insurance. So I come to youtube, read a lot of books, listen to podcasts and be proactive in my healing and growth. This wouldnt be possible without contributors like you

[Teamshmo]

Man, I have heard this a million times, and have found it to be true. However, it is really hard to remind yourself of it each day.

[chrism]

I’m going back to therapy next Tuesday. In the last year I lost my job, my girlfriend left me, and my Father died. My anxiety has become worse than ever before. My Agoraphobia is out of control. I’m 23 and I’m so sick of living at home with my Mother, while almost everyone else I know is making something of themselves while I sit here rotting away.

[lenas]

I think there's a certain amount of perfectionism in a fixed mindset.

[tigre]

I think I have a growth mindset now, although there were many periods before, where I did have a fixed mindset. I think we all naturally have a a growth mindset but sometimes life and circumstances can lead us to a fixed mindset, even to a point sometimes where we may not even be aware of it. If we are able to recover learn from it and help others to get through in some way, is best possible thing we can do.

[BigBossMan]

Seeing imperfections in me as “opportunities” just makes me feel worse and seeing them in such a rosy, happy way feels wrong. Like it’s diminishing my feelings

[ChristianMotivationMedia]

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”Psalms 56:3, 4