How to Cultivate an Abundance Mindset

A practical guide to rewiring scarcity thinking and expanding what you call “enough.”

Financial wellness is about creating harmony between your mind, money, and body. However, many of us fall into scarcity thinking, which only adds to our financial stress. When we believe there isn’t enough money, it affects how we feel in the moment and increases our worries about the future. Like any bad habit or form of negative conditioning, scarcity thinking can be tough to break. But your mind is stronger than you think and with some practice, you can cultivate an abundance mindset.  

Realize Abundance Comes in Many Forms 

True wealth isn’t just about the zeros in your bank account or the size of your investment portfolio. It’s much deeper than that. It’s realizing that abundance comes in many forms. Some examples include:

• Free time: Whether that’s 20 minutes for a nap on a Sunday afternoon or an hour to read a book before bed, spaciousness in your day is its own form of abundance. 
  
• Slow mornings: Starting your day without rushing, waking up with intention, savoring your coffee or tea as you ease into the day. 
  
• Community: A solid group of friends, a healthy and fulfilling romantic partnership, and even the warm smile from your local barista. 
  
• Kindness: In a world of rage and reactivity, kindness is a gift. Common courtesy, clear communication, and generosity with words and actions. 
  
• Food: Nourishing meals that bring our body back into balance. Having access to healthy food options and the feeling of satiety are forms of abundance that are often overlooked. 
  
• Shelter: A safe, comfortable place to rest your head. Four walls that create a warm space where you can feel at ease. 
  
• Health: Your body is resilient. We come into contact with germs everywhere and our immune system works tirelessly in the background, doing all the heavy lifting and keeping us healthy. Being healthy is one of the most significant types of abundance. Don’t take being able to walk, breathe through your nose, or a body free of aches and pains for granted. 

Focus on Awe[aw]nounA powerful emotion of wonder that enhances well-being and connection.Learn MoreClose

Life can be pretty stressful. Money worries only exacerbate that. But to move beyond scarcity thinking, you need to zoom out. One way to start is to consider what Albert Einstein said: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

To create an abundance mindset, try seeing everything as a miracle. Focus on awe and notice what’s around you.  

“Notice your surroundings,” said Jennifer Dunkle, a licensed professional counselor and a certified Gottman therapist. “Yesterday I was driving home, and I was looking at the clouds in the sky, and they were just beautiful…a lot of times we’re so busy, we’re just going from place A to place B, and do this and do that, and if we can pause and just notice the beauty in nature.”

See how the trees stand. The brightness of the sun, the glow of the moon, and the sparkle of the stars. The red hue of a rose (and yes, actually smell the roses) and the golden yellow of turmeric. Close your eyes when you take a bite of your favorite meal and really taste its complexity. Listen to Clair De Lune by Claude Debussy. Read poetry. Go to a body of water. Watch the birds soar. Focusing on awe and the abundant gifts around you can help you shift out of scarcity. 

Give Back 

One of the easiest ways to shift out of scarcity and into abundance is by giving back. It helps you recalibrate and reminds you of the wealth you already have. Not only in money, but also in time, compassion, and resources. 

Volunteer at a soup kitchen, food pantry, animal shelter, or a hospital. Donate clothes that no longer fit or aren’t aligned with your current style. When you’re in scarcity, you often compare yourself to other people who have more. But if you shift your perspective, you’ll also realize that many people have much less. 

“I think it’s important to recognize that many of us are very lucky, we’re fortunate. There are so many people who are a lot less fortunate than we are. And what can we do to help alleviate that and help the people who are less fortunate, so that they, too, can experience more abundance in their lives?” said Dunkle.

Sharing what you’re able, whether time, belongings, or money, can reinforce the feeling of abundance. 

If your scarcity manifests itself in extreme penny-pinching, try donating $25 or $50 to a cause or organization you care about (and as a bonus, see if it qualifies as a tax deduction). It may feel uncomfortable at first, but you’re slowly teaching your nervous system that you have enough and are capable of generosity. 

Live in Alignment with Your Values 

Money is more of a means to an end. It’s a tool for your vitality and longevity. But if you value money above all else, it can lead to a hollow existence. 

As an exercise, imagine yourself with your bills paid, no debt, flush with savings. First, notice how it feels in your body. Second, what are your values at the end of the day? Some examples include: 

• Service
• Compassion
• Family
• Empathy
• Ambition
• Growth
• Adventure
• Sustainability
• Joy
• Purpose
• Mindfulness[mahynd-fuhl-nis]nounThe practice of paying attention to the present moment with non-judgmental awareness.Learn MoreClose
• Health
• Integrity 

Once you’ve identified your core values, you can use that knowledge to your advantage. “I firmly believe if you understand your values, and you’re doing things that are consistent with your values, that is abundance,” said John Hankins, a financial therapist.

Break Away from Consumerism 

Every day, we are bombarded with ads and subtle and not-so-subtle messages that we’re not enough. That we don’t have enough. And the way to solve the problem? Buying something. 

“There is a whole industry out there that is designed to do exactly that. You don’t have this thing, and you need it. And I’m going to give you a lot of great examples of why the people that have it, the thing you don’t have, are so much happier than you are,” said Hankins. 

Advertising and marketing can poke at your vulnerabilities. Offer an easy solution when you’re looking for an easy fix. But ultimately, it won’t solve anything and will keep you in scarcity. 

“If you’re glued to what’s the next thing that I need to acquire, you will never get to an abundance mindset. You are in a scarcity whirlwind that you’re going to continue to feed,” said Hankins. 

Read This Next