How To Exercise An Open Mind

Cultivating an open mind means not just stimulating your brain, but opening yourself up to new experiences and perspectives. When you have an open mind, you are more receptive to different ideas, beliefs, and backgrounds. There are a number of ways you can exercise an open mind. Start by challenging your own beliefs to learn what you really hold to be true. Then, look to engage with other cultures and viewpoints. The more practice you have in keeping your mind open, the more you will be able to engage with and understand people from all walks of life.

METHOD ONE OF FOUR:

CHALLENGING YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM:

a) Evaluate how your beliefs developed:

Everyone holds some beliefs that they arrived at on their own, and some from external influences. Take a look at the beliefs you hold close and ask yourself, “How did I come to believe this?” If you find your answer is because someone told you to think that or because it’s just what you’ve always believed, try to list at least 3 alternative beliefs or perspectives.

For example, if you were raised believing that hard work is all you need to succeed, ask yourself, "can I find examples of people who worked hard but still struggled in life? Are there other factors that may impact your ability to succeed outside of your work ethic?"

Then, you may choose to do research into factor like how social privileges may provide certain individuals with more opportunities to succeed completely unrelated to work ethic. Look into these new perspectives and see what others have to say.

You don’t have to change your mind when you evaluate your beliefs. Looking at other perspectives simply gives you a chance to see if the belief you have suits you.

There’s no shame in admitting that you’ve held onto taught or inherited beliefs. Most people have some beliefs that they didn’t form on their own. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just something that you should be aware of as you try to exercise an open mind.

b) Look at the assumptions you make every day.

Assumptions are a natural part of thinking, but they can be problematic when they go unchecked. When you find yourself in a new situation, ask yourself, “What do I actually know about this situation? What am I just assuming to be present or true?” Write your answers down and reflect on them regularly.

Assumptions represent a certain bias that can be indicative of one’s own life experiences and privileges. It’s important to remember that not everyone else will have those same experiences or privileges.

Say, for example, you’ve never tried pasta with pesto sauce. Ask yourself why you assume you would dislike it. Is it because the sauce is green? Is it because you don’t like the smell?

c) Face your fears. Make a list of your fears.

Start by thinking your way through logical flaws or mental exaggerations you use to justify your fear. You can even look for help from local support groups or a cognitive behavioral therapist if you're struggling on your own. Then, challenge your fear with a task or duty that will force you to confront it head-on.

For example, if you afraid to do anything more than email on your computer, consider signing up for a free online course. They can teach you everything from basic computer skills to software development.

If you are scared to read in front of your class because you think you’ll go too slow or get tripped up, practice reading out loud in the mirror. Then, challenge yourself to volunteer to read one paragraph in front of the class each week.

In many cases, you will either find that the task didn’t warrant the fear you had, or that the outcome was worth overcoming the fear.

d) Adopt an affirmation to help strengthen a new value.

If you have a belief that you think is weighing you down, adopt a mantra that challenges that belief. Your mantra should name the value you are focusing on, and describe what that value means to you. Repeat that mantra to yourself multiple times a day, every day. Use this to help you focus on your new values whenever old temptations slip back in.

For example, if you decide you want to be happier, make a mantra that says, “To me, happiness is working in a field I care about, playing with my dog every day, and making my partner laugh.”

Every time you feel sad or down, repeat that mantra to yourself. It won’t instantly dissipate your sadness, but it will help you focus on what keeps you happy.

e) Examine your thoughts. You are likely filtering your thoughts through your prior belief system, which can lead to common thinking errors. Noticing these errors can help you change them. When you notice a thinking error, replace it with a realistic statement. These are the most common thinking errors:

All-or-nothing thinking
Catastrophizing
Overgeneralizing
Mind reading
Labeling
Emotional reading
Fortune-telling