When you’re trying to improve your health, one key factor that adds to your success is motivation. But if you’re accustomed to just one way of thinking, forming new habits or improving willpower in sobriety might be more challenging. Fortunately, some experts believe that adopting a growth mindset over a fixed one helps create a better foundation for recovery.  

What’s a Mindset? 

Some people seem to adapt easily to just about every situation, while others find it more difficult to learn new things or accept change. Are these inherent, inflexible traits, or can we build upon what we know and how we think? 

Vocabulary.com defines mindset as “a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.” Your mindset is created by numerous influences, including: 

• Experiences
• Culture and upbringing
• Education 
• Religion

Exploring the concept of fixed vs. growth mindset is interesting because researchers think that anyone can develop a growth mindset, which may in turn improve many aspects of their lives. This theory was first introduced in the 1970s by psychologist and Stanford professor Carol Dweck, who studies how people, particularly students and other specialized demographics, use their self-perceptions to structure their capabilities and guide their behavior. The growth mindset concept is also a popular tool for helping add to professional motivation. 

Understanding a Fixed vs. a Growth Mindset 

Harvard Business School cites Dweck’s research and her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success to define the difference between fixed and growth thinking. “Someone with a fixed mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as inherently stable and unchangeable over time. On the other hand, someone with a growth mindset views these same traits as learnable and capable of improvement through effort,” the article states. Let’s take a closer look at how both ways of thinking affect you.

Fixed Mindset 

A person with a fixed mindset thinks they’re born with certain skills, and so when faced with challenging situations they don’t already have the skills to manage, they won’t improve. Additional characteristics of a fixed mindset include: 

• Difficulty accepting failure or mistakes
• An avoidance of challenges
• Refusal to accept feedback or criticism
• Feeling threatened by others’ success
• Discomfort with unfamiliar things
• A focus on proving oneself through success or failure

All of us present these characteristics at one time or another, but someone with a more consistent fixed mindset is less likely to learn from mistakes, as they believe they can’t, so there’s no need to try. 

Growth Mindset 

Dweck’s research suggests that cultivating more of a growth mindset means someone views setbacks and mistakes as learning opportunities. They overcome the obstacle by taking a lesson from it and try again by using new information to enhance their willpower to achieve their goals. Other characteristics of a growth mindset are: 

• Learning and growth from failures
• Willingness to step out of one’s typical comfort zone
• Embracing constructive feedback
• Using others’ successes as inspiration
• Believing that talent is always evolving
• Focusing more on the process than the result

Dweck believes that with practice, everyone can adopt more of a growth mindset in many situations.

Applying a Growth Mindset to Your Recovery 

You’ve probably already learned during treatment what circumstances contributed to your addiction, as well as which triggers prompt maladaptive behavior. You may have also realized that without substances, your brain can once again make stronger neurological connections, essentially improving upon itself all the time. This is known as neuroplasticity, and it’s a critical component not only for developing a growth mindset but also for improving brain health. 

In her book, Mindset: Changing the Way You Think to Fulfill Your Potential, Dweck provides different ways to try making changes. For example, ask yourself these questions: 

• “What did I learn today?” 
• “What mistake did I make that taught me something?”  
• “What did I try hard at today?” 

Dweck’s theory states that “the passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of a growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.” 

She offers these additional suggestions: 

• Embrace the “not yet” principle. Dweck says adding “not yet” to one of your typical fixed mindset statements helps reframe your perspective. When faced with a challenge, acknowledge that you haven’t accomplished that skill—yet! In this video, she talks more about this principle. 
• Acknowledge negativity—then adjust to a solution. Adjust to difficulties by asking someone about their methods for achievement. Or, if someone has presented you with what you perceive as criticism, first consider the source, and then analyze the input as a learning opportunity. This is an especially helpful technique when working with a 12-step sponsor so you can continue to face adversity with a problem-solving intention. 

Some people also enhance their growth mindset by changing how they refer to themselves. For example, if you’re a person who uses language such as “addict” or “alcoholic” to describe yourself, this might be the result of a fixed mindset. However, acknowledging that you’re managing a condition such as substance use disorder or alcohol use disorder allows for a more positive perspective on possibilities for recovery. 

Learn How to Heal the Whole Self at Seabrook

Our four award-winning treatment centers in New Jersey are CARF-accredited facilities, an organization promoting best practices in behavioral health and evidence-based addiction recovery. Through our Seabrook Model, our board-certified professionals provide individualized treatment to help you move forward in life with confidence and strength. If you need this type of progressive approach, talk to a member of our admissions team today.