6 Ways to Shift Out of a Scarcity Mindset

Shifting from feelings of lack to feelings of "enough."

Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer Ph.D.

Key points

• Our mindset can shape how we view the world, our resources, and ourselves.
• A scarcity mindset is rooted in the belief that there’s never enough, keeping us chasing what we lack.
• A sufficiency mindset believes in “enough” in our resources and ourselves.

Time, money, energy, security, resources, opportunities—have you ever felt like there wasn’t enough?

When we are operating from a scarcity mindset, we see the world through a lens of “not enough.” Scarcity thinking is rooted in fear and keeps us focused on what we lack. Focusing on a lack of anything can send our nervous system into a state of stress and anxiety. When we believe resources are limited, it’s easy to feel envious of anyone who has “more,” and to view others’ successes as a threat to our own. Competition, hoarding, and comparison stem from this fear that what we think we need is always just out of reach.

Scarcity thinking is prevalent and perpetuated by our culture in many ways. Just think of all the ways we are urged to do more, be more, and accumulate more. This mindset leads us to believe that once we get to a particular place or have a certain possession, then we will feel like we are enough. But we can do the things, be the things, and acquire the things, and still, the chasing feeling never goes away.

With all of the pressures of social comparison and ideals presented to us, it’s easy to feel like we’re failing or falling short in one area or another—like we aren’t where we should be or could be. Many people are living with this undercurrent of worry and feeling like they cannot ever catch up to what really matters. So many of us are disconnected from this inner knowing that if we look around us and within ourselves, we will find what we need—that there is always enough, and we are enough as we are.

A Sufficiency Mindset

In my book, Stress Wisely: How to Be Well in an Unwell World, I write about the idea of sufficiency, a concept I learned from the brilliant Lynne Twist. A sufficiency mindset is rooted in the belief that there is “enough” to go around. Sufficiency beliefs also lean heavily into trusting and appreciating what we can do and what we already have.

When we embrace a sufficiency mindset and bring attention to the resources we have within us and around us, it can help us see resources and possibilities more expansively, alleviating stress and allowing us to experience greater fulfillment, collaboration, and resilience.

It’s All in How We See It

In Stress Wisely, I share an interaction I had with a young boy in a remote village in a developing country that dramatically shifted my understanding of sufficiency. My students and I were bringing donated supplies, including school materials, food, simple medical aid, and soccer equipment, to a one-room schoolhouse. Once our work was done, I invited the children to play soccer, and a young boy eagerly took my hand, ready to join. He wore no shoes, his feet toughened and marked from the rocky ground. I suggested to him that he might need shoes to play, but he smiled, held up the clean soccer ball we’d brought, and said, “I can play. I have a ball.” In this moment, he saw abundance in his world. This child, with his pure joy, showed me that sufficiency is about appreciating what we have and knowing it can be enough.

What’s amazing about the human condition is that we have the power to reframe our perspective. At any given moment, we can choose. We can choose to focus on what we lack and all that is wrong or could go wrong, or we can shift our focus to what we have and what is possible.

How to Shift Out of a Scarcity Mindset

Here are some ways we can start embracing a mindset of sufficiency (and even abundance):

1. Recognize and acknowledge scarcity thinking.

Awareness of scarcity-based thoughts is the first step you can take to transform them. This awareness can allow you to step back, identify what has you feeling a sense of deficiency, and move away from accepting them as truths.

2. Challenge and reframe scarcity-based thoughts.

Reframe scarcity-based thoughts by questioning their accuracy and replacing them with more realistic, constructive ones. For example, instead of “I don’t have enough time,” try “I will prioritize what matters most and set boundaries around my time” or instead of “I’ll never get there,” try “I am well-resourced and capable of figuring out a path forward.”

3. Practice gratitude.

A gratitude practice is a powerful way to redirect your attention to all that is already present in your life. Take some time to focus on what you currently have and how far you have come, recognizing that many of the resources, relationships, and experiences around you were once things you wished and worked for.

4. Engage mindfully with media.

We are bombarded with messaging through social media, marketing, and advertisements that fuel scarcity-based thinking and leave us feeling like we’re not good enough. Curate your media by unfollowing and limiting exposure to accounts that evoke comparison and feelings of lack and following accounts that share positive and inspiring content.

5. Surround yourself with positive influences.

The people we spend time with can greatly influence our mindset. Find people who are abundance-minded and will encourage, uplift, and inspire you.

6. Celebrate the success of others.

Many people view success as a finite resource, believing that someone else’s progress limits their own ability to achieve. Instead, when someone achieves a goal of theirs, try to see it as evidence that your wins are possible for you too. It is remarkable the opportunities that present themselves when we adopt an open mindset of "Why not me?"

Final Thoughts

Fostering a sense of enough is possible for all of us. By focusing intentionally on what you have versus what you don’t have and what you can do versus what you can’t do, you very well may find yourself in a place of abundance.