7 Ways To Become Mentally Strong
The typical narrative of becoming and staying mentally strong usually involves identifying and working with existing talents, skills, and support systems.
Though stressing on the positives, as a plan of action to overcome adversity is wonderful, ignoring ones weaknesses has serious limitations too.
Reaching your greatest potential doesn’t require you to only work harder by adding desirable habits to your already busy life, it also entails eliminating the routines that erode effectiveness and siphon off mental strength.
Here are the things to do to become mentally strong:
Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself
It’s futile to wallow in your problems. Throwing a pity party only makes things worse. It keeps you focused on the problem and prevents you from developing a solution.
Even when you can’t solve the problem, you can choose to control your attitude. In that choice lies your peace of mind. Be grateful each day, keeping a gratitude journal helps promote this.
Don’t give away your power
No one has power over the way you think, feel or behave. If your thoughts send you into victim mode that means you have given your power away. Change your narrative, reprogram your thought process and reclaim your power. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you challenge your cognitive distortions and be more in control of your thoughts.
Empowering yourself is an essential component to creating the kind of life you want.
Don’t shy away from change
Fearing change is very common, but it is important to embrace it.
The more you practice tolerating distress from various sources, the more confident you’ll become in your ability to adapt and create positive change in yourself. With each challenge that you emerge victorious, you will gain confidence and become mentally stronger.
Don’t squander energy on things you can’t control
The easiest thing to do when you cant control something is to complain, worry and indulge in wishful thinking. Unfortunately, they don’t solve problems; they only waste your energy. But if you invest that same energy in the things you can control, you’ll be much better prepared for whatever life throws your way.
Pay attention to the times when you’re tempted to worry about things you can’t control—such as the choices other people make or how your competitor behaves—and devote that energy to something more productive, such as finishing a project at work or home or helping a friend with hers. Accept situations that are beyond your control and focus on influencing, rather than controlling, people around you.
Don’t fear taking risks
Emotions cloud your judgment and interfere with your ability to accurately calculate risk. If you replace fear with the excitement of dealing with a new situation it might increase your chances of success. Fear is a negative and paralysing emotion. Acknowledge how you’re feeling about a certain risk and recognise how your emotions influence your thoughts. Create a list of the pros and cons of taking the risk to help you make a decision based on a balance of emotion and logic.
Don’t fear “alone time”
For some people, the thought of being alone with their thoughts is downright scary. Most people avoid silence by filling their days with a flurry of activity and background noise.
Alone time, however, is an essential component of building mental strength. Carve out at least 10 minutes each day to gather your thoughts without the distractions of the world. Use the time to reflect on your progress and create goals for the future. It will not only make you a mentally stronger person but also more attractive. People are drawn to others who are happy with themselves.
Don’t feel that the world owes you something
It’s common to feel that if we put in enough hard work or tough it out through bad times, then we deserve success. A certain sense of entitlement becomes a part of ones repertoire when we are passionate about what we do. But waiting for the world to give you what you think you’re owed isn’t a productive life strategy.
Take notice of times when you feel as though you deserve something better. Intentionally focus on all that you have to give rather than what you think you deserve. Regardless of whether you think you’ve been dealt a fair hand in life, you have gifts to share with others. Knowing and believing that will give you immense strength.
