What's Your Mindset? Self-Reflection for Well-being

Read each statement and reflect on how much you agree or disagree. Circle the number that best represents you. There are no right or wrong answers, and this is for your personal insight!

Key: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree

Section 1: Challenges and Effort

1. I tend to avoid new coping strategies or difficult emotional work because I might struggle.
   
   
   
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2. I believe that putting in effort, even small steps, will significantly improve my well-being or ability to cope.
   
   
   
   1      2      3      4      5

3. When I experience a setback in my recovery or face a difficult emotion, I often feel discouraged and doubt my capacity to improve.
   
   
   
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4. I am open to trying new approaches for my mental health, even if they are difficult and require consistent practice.
   
   
   
   1      2      3      4      5

Section 2: Feedback and Support

5. I sometimes feel personally attacked or ashamed when someone (e.g., therapist, peer) gives me constructive feedback on my behaviors or coping strategies.
   
   
   
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6. I actively seek support or feedback to understand how I can improve my well-being.
   
   
   
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7. If I experience a difficult emotion or a challenge, I tend to dwell on it and question my overall progress.
   
   
   
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Section 3: Others' Progress and Inspiration

8. When I see someone else making significant progress in their recovery, I sometimes feel jealous or inadequate about my own journey.
   
   
   
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9. I am inspired by the recovery journeys of others and try to learn from their resilience or strategies.
   
   
   
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Reflection (No Scoring Needed!)

Look at your responses. What patterns do you notice in how you approach challenges related to your well-being? Are there areas where you lean more towards a fixed mindset, and others where you show a growth mindset?

How might recognizing these patterns help you in your personal growth and recovery journey?

My Growth Mindset Action Plan Journal for Well-being

This journal is a space for you to reflect on your journey towards a growth mindset and plan your next steps for enhanced well-being.

Reflection: My Current Mindset

1. Thinking about today's session, what was one new insight you gained about mindsets or about your own mindset in relation to your well-being?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. In what specific area of your well-being journey (e.g., managing stress, building healthy habits, social connections, emotional regulation) do you most often notice a fixed mindset appearing? Describe a recent situation.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. In what specific area do you most often notice a growth mindset? Describe a recent situation.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

My Growth Mindset Commitment

Now, let's plan for growth!

1. Identify ONE specific challenge or well-being goal where you want to intentionally apply a growth mindset this week/month. (Be specific!)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What fixed mindset thought might typically arise in this situation? (e.g., "I'm not strong enough to handle this," "It's pointless to try," "I'll always struggle with X")
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. How will you reframe that thought using a growth mindset? (e.g., "I can't manage this yet, but I can learn coping skills," "This is an opportunity to build resilience," "Every step, no matter how small, is progress")
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. What specific action will you take to demonstrate this growth mindset? (e.g., talk to a support person, try a new mindfulness technique, practice a coping skill for 5 minutes, ask for help from staff)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. How will you measure your progress? (Focus on effort, learning, persistence, and self-compassion, not just perfect outcomes).
   
   
   
   
   
   

Future Reflection (Optional)

• After a week or two, revisit this journal. How did your commitment go? What did you learn about yourself and your journey? What will you try next?*

Mindset Discussion Prompts for Well-being & Recovery

Use these prompts to guide a rich and supportive conversation about fixed and growth mindsets in the context of personal well-being and recovery.

Initial Reactions & Understanding

1. What was your immediate reaction to learning about fixed and growth mindsets, especially in relation to your own experiences with mental health or personal challenges?
   
   
   

2. Can you think of a time when you clearly operated from a fixed mindset about your ability to cope or make progress? What was the situation, and what was the outcome?
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Can you think of a time when you clearly operated from a growth mindset about a personal challenge or a step in your recovery? What was the situation, and what was the outcome?
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. What are some of the potential benefits of cultivating a growth mindset in navigating mental health challenges or your recovery journey?
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. How might a growth mindset impact your relationships with others or your engagement in activities that support your well-being?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Applying the Concepts

6. Consider a personal trait or challenge you once thought you "just couldn't change." How might approaching it with a growth mindset change your experience or your efforts?
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. How can the phrase "I can't do it yet" change your perspective when facing a difficult emotion or a new coping strategy?
   
   
   

8. Why is learning from setbacks or difficult experiences a powerful growth mindset strategy for well-being? Can you share an example?
   
   
   
   
   
   

9. How can you encourage a growth mindset in others within a supportive community (e.g., peers, family members)? What kind of supportive language would you use?
   
   
   
   
   
   

10. What's one small, realistic step you can take this week to shift towards a more growth-oriented mindset in an area of your well-being journey?
    
    
    
    
    
    

Growth Mindset Scenarios for Well-being: What Would You Do?

Instructions:

1. Work individually to reflect on the scenarios.
2. Read each scenario aloud (if in a group) or silently to yourself.
3. For one scenario, discuss and describe how someone with a fixed mindset might react or think, and then how someone with a growth mindset might react or think, focusing on personal well-being and recovery.
4. Be prepared to share your insights with the larger group during the facilitated discussion.

Scenario 1: The New Coping Skill

You learn a new mindfulness or grounding technique that is recommended for managing anxiety. You try it a few times, but it feels awkward and you don't feel an immediate sense of calm, unlike some others in your group who seem to get it quickly.

• Fixed Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Growth Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 2: Feedback on Progress

You've been working on a personal goal (e.g., attending all group sessions, practicing a new behavior), and your therapist or a peer gives you feedback that highlights areas where you could improve or suggests a different strategy.

• Fixed Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Growth Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 3: A Setback in Recovery

You've been making good progress in your recovery journey, but then you experience a significant setback – perhaps an increase in symptoms or a return to old patterns. You feel very discouraged.

• Fixed Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Growth Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 4: A Challenging Personal Goal

You set a personal goal for yourself, like rebuilding a relationship or finding a new fulfilling activity. As you start working towards it, you encounter unexpected difficulties and realize it will require much more emotional effort and learning than you initially thought.

• Fixed Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Growth Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 5: Others' Progress

A peer in your facility or support group achieves a major milestone in their recovery that you've also been striving for. They receive a lot of positive attention and recognition.

• Fixed Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Growth Mindset Response:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Mindset Shift for Well-being: Cool Down

Take a few moments to reflect on today's session and your journey towards enhanced well-being.

1. What is one key difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset that resonated with you today, specifically in the context of your personal well-being or recovery?
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What is one strategy for cultivating a growth mindset that you are most likely to try in the coming week to support your well-being?
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. On a scale of 1-5, how confident do you feel in your ability to apply growth mindset principles to a personal challenge you're facing in your well-being journey? (1 = Not confident at all, 5 = Very confident)
   
   
   
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4. What is one word you would use to describe your takeaway from this session regarding your potential for growth and well-being?