Your mental health affects everything. Your perception, mindset, and thought life all produce real, tangible results. And those results can be really good—or really destructive.
Over time, unchecked negative thoughts and mindsets will take a toll. You might have toxic thinking patterns you’ve never realized were abnormal. And because you didn’t know they were unhealthy, you never took time to reprogram your mind. I mean, why would you? You didn’t even know your way of thinking needed to change!
This is where it gets tricky.
If negative thoughts are left unchecked for years—even just occasional toxic thoughts—they eventually catch up with you. One life event can trigger years of suppressed emotions, and before you know it, you’re in the middle of a mental breakdown asking:
“How did I even get here?!”
This is why it’s so vital to first be aware of the mindsets that are harming you. If you’re not self-aware, you won’t take action to improve or optimize your mental health.
That’s the first step: self-awareness.
The second step? Actively destroy those toxic mindsets and replace them with positive ones.
How Can You Do That Practically?
1) Get in the Word of God.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you rewire your thinking to align with His truth. God’s Word is the ultimate truth—any belief or mindset outside of that is, ultimately, a lie.
So, how do you actually do this?
Let’s say you struggle with insecurity or fear. Research and look up scriptures, stories, and passages that deal with those topics. Speak them out loud over yourself every day. Ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you.
If insecurity isn’t your struggle, that’s okay! Work on whatever mindset you need help with. If it’s a poverty mindset, dive into scriptures like Psalm 23:1, Deuteronomy 15:6, Proverbs 10:22, Deuteronomy 28:18—and more. Build a habit of aligning your beliefs with truth.
2) Go to counseling—if you need to, GO.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is designed to help you shift negative perceptions into healthy ones. That’s essentially what mind renewal is!
I grew up in the church and constantly heard: “Renew your mind with the Word of God!” I never understood what that meant practically—until I learned about CBT. Now when I hear that phrase, I immediately think of CBT. Renewing your mind is about changing your beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors to align with the truth.
Yes, get in the Word. But if you need to take it a step further and talk things out with a professional, don’t hesitate. There’s no shame. Sometimes just speaking with a neutral party (not family, friends, or coworkers) can uncover things you didn’t even realize you had suppressed.
You can combine both steps—#1 and #2—for real, tangible healing and breakthrough.
A Note on the Healing Process
Don’t compare your healing to someone else’s. Some people heal faster than others. Don’t beat yourself up with thoughts like:
“I should be better by now. What’s taking so long?! UGH.”
That kind of thinking won’t help. Instead, look at how far you’ve come. Aim to keep going. Aim to heal fully. Aim to replace false mindsets with God’s truth.
But don’t expect it to happen overnight—and don’t get discouraged when it doesn’t. Real, lasting change takes time. If you’ve been anxious your entire life, that mindset won’t change in a day. Be honest with yourself—and be patient with yourself.
God is patient with you. So stop freaking out thinking you need to have it all figured out in one day.
Your Joy Can Be Restored
You can get to a point where life doesn’t even feel enjoyable anymore because your mental health has taken such a hit. If that’s you, I believe God wants to restore your JOY.
I love what Psalm 51:12 says in The Passion Translation:
“Let my passion for life be restored, tasting joy in every breakthrough you bring to me. Hold me close to you with a willing spirit that obeys whatever you say.”
I’m obsessed with that scripture. I’ve prayed that prayer before without even realizing it was in the Bible!
“Let my passion for life be restored.”
Have you lost your passion?
Do you ever think:
- “I don’t even know why I’m doing this.”
- “Why am I even here?”
- “What’s the point if I can’t even enjoy my life?”
Well, your passion and joy can be restored.
Life Was Meant to Be a Joy, Not a Burden
That’s essentially why I started this blog. I believe many people have lost their passion because of small things that were left unchecked for too long—things like bitterness, toxic thoughts, bad relationships, fear, doubt, and more.
You’re constantly frustrated but don’t know why. And maybe, just maybe, the root issue is something small—like bitterness toward someone who hurt you or got what you wanted. That bitterness builds and eventually wrecks your mental peace.
Song of Solomon 2:15 says:
“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!”
It’s the small things that steal your joy if left unchecked.
But if you lack awareness or don’t know what the truth actually is… how can you overcome anything?
You can’t.
You need to know the TRUTH. That’s why I always say: Pick up the Word of God and READ IT. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what needs to change in your heart and mind.
Make this a daily prayer:
Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
So, To Regain Your Passion:
1. Eliminate the lies.
What have you believed your whole life that doesn’t align with God’s Word? I pray the Holy Spirit reveals that to you.
2. Get to the root.
Once you identify the root issue, God will lead you step by step through healing.
3. Discover what you’re truly passionate about.
And never back off from it. You’re passionate about that for a reason. Don’t just settle for something that looks good on paper but leaves you miserable. That’s one of the quickest ways to destroy your mental health.
Healing is possible. Joy can be restored. Passion can be reignited.But it takes intentionality. It takes the truth. It takes facing the little lies we’ve believed for way too long and replacing them with what God actually says about us.
You are capable of great things!