Mental strength serves as a gauge of your resilience and confidence when confronted with various scenarios. It may manifest as the ability to express certain emotions for some, while for others, it’s the capacity to remain level-headed in challenging times.
The foundational skills of mental strength include:
- Handling negative emotions in a healthy way.
- Recognizing and understanding your feelings.
- Discerning what your emotions indicate and how to manage them, knowing when to engage and when to step back.
To enhance your mental strength, it’s essential to apply rational thinking even when overwhelmed by emotions. Someone with robust mental strength consciously chooses their actions and reactions.
However, mental strength doesn’t require you to:
- Be indifferent: People who come off as “tough” often fear their own feelings, while those truly strong inside embrace them.
- Be a loner: Those with inner strength often recognize the invaluable individuals in their lives.
- Always be happy: This can lead to toxic positivity.
But it does demand a bit of effort.
How to Measure Mental Strength?
Measuring mental strength and well-being doesn’t necessarily need tools to assess brain activity; you can make some self-evaluations.
Environmental Factors: Use a diary or other recording tools to document your actions and reactions in specific scenarios, comparing them with what you believe (in hindsight) would’ve been the appropriate response. For instance, if you led a meeting that didn’t go well, you might note, “I didn’t plan enough before the meeting, relying on my team to speak for me. I reacted poorly, clearly appearing nervous and sweaty. I should’ve addressed all questions by referring to my notes, even if it took more time.”
Emotional Factors: How do you cope with stress in various situations? Do you get nervous on stage? Do your legs shake just thinking about physical exercise? Documenting your primary stressors daily is crucial for identifying key factors impacting your mental well-being.
Check Your Vital Signs: In most cases, heart rate and blood pressure are major indicators of nearing one’s emotional limit. Elevated blood pressure or heart rate can easily trigger irrational emotions. A health wristband can be particularly helpful in this context.
Practicing these strategies should assist you in gaining a deeper understanding of your mental capabilities and strengths, guiding you to make informed decisions accordingly.
7 Tips to Build Mental Toughness
Rather than waiting for someone to guide or pick you up, all you need is a strategy to amplify your mental strength. A bit of hard work and determination will set you on the right path. Here are 7 simple tips to improve your mental well-being and strength, which you can seamlessly incorporate into your daily routine:
1. Identify Your Peaks and Valleys
Everyone has their highs and lows. Sometimes, you feel on top of the world, and at other times, it feels like you’re sinking. These moments can be categorized as your peaks (successful times) and valleys (down times). During your peaks:
- You feel more relaxed.
- Your body language is naturally open.
- Conversations come more effortlessly.
- Your body releases “feel-good” hormones.
- You perform better under pressure.
Conversely, during your valleys, you might experience:
- Feelings of laziness and procrastination.
- Mental distractions.
- A lack of confidence.
- An aversion to social interactions.
Ask yourself, which cycle do you spend more time in? Especially when you need to make a sale or impress a new client? The key to building mental strength is to extend the time you spend in your peaks and reduce the valleys.
Action Step: Identify triggers that push you into a valley. Is it interacting with unfamiliar faces or places? Or perhaps introducing yourself in less than ideal ways? Once identified, have an item on hand to uplift your spirits – whether it’s a rubber stress ball or a small box of notes highlighting your best moments. Use this item in tough times to comfort yourself and transition from negative to positive vibes.
2. The 3-Second Rule
The 3-second rule is a nifty trick to use whenever you feel anxious or nervous about doing something. Count from 1 to 3, and as soon as you hit that mental “3,” take action. This rule operates on a “do or don’t” principle with no in-betweens. You can deploy this mental hack in many challenging situations:
- Before taking a cold shower.
- Initiating a video call.
- Just before walking into a meeting.
- Before having a tough conversation with your boss.
Pro Tip: The 3-second rule is designed to make you act at the right moment. When we’re nervous or under pressure, it’s our body’s natural way of gearing up for action. The challenge is, if we wait too long, the negatives outweigh the benefits. Use the 3-second rule to act before surrendering to your emotions.
3. Tune into Music
Humans have an innate connection to music. It’s so easy for us to get lost in its rhythm. A good song can be as comforting during a drive as it can be motivating for an army marching towards victory. A classic example of music’s power is David Goggins, who set a world record by doing 4,030 pull-ups in 17 hours, drawing inspiration from a track in the “Rocky” movie.
Goggins played that song on repeat for the entire 17 hours to set his record. You can use a similar approach. All you need is a song you love, or maybe even pen one yourself, and the right mindset to go with it.
Action Step: Have a challenge up ahead? Try listening to your favorite track while you tackle it.
4. Respect Your Body
Your body and mind work best when they’re in harmony, propelling you to accomplish great things. Many successful individuals maintain their mental strength by consistently engaging in physical activity over the years. But don’t worry, you don’t need to become a fitness guru. Simple tasks like taking a 10-minute walk in your neighborhood can instill discipline.
Action Step: Set a daily alarm as a reminder. Your body thrives on routine – knowing when to eat, exercise, and sleep.
5. Achievements and Accomplishments
A sense of inner weakness often goes hand-in-hand with a lack of confidence. To gain confidence, you need a sense of accomplishment. You can achieve this by setting small goals in essential areas of your life:
- Write a page in your diary every evening.
- Learn a new skill, like swimming or computer programming.
- Educate yourself on investing and saving for the future.
- Venture out and make a new friend.
From your workplace to social life to hobbies, give yourself reasons to feel invigorated and inspired.
6. Weed Out Mental Distractions
Even if you strive to remain mentally strong, deep-seated emotions can find their way back during trying times, akin to weeds sprouting again. The key here is to tend to these weeds regularly. In other words, focus on what makes you feel weak and contemplate it:
- Identify a pain point. It could be a lack of discipline, being overweight, or not having close friends.
- Focus on how it makes you feel, vocalizing thoughts like, “Being overweight makes me feel sad and unwelcome.”
- The hardest part – accept these feelings. Practice meditation techniques to embrace acceptance further.
- Take action. Learn to overcome your pain points and grow mentally stronger in the process.
7. Mental Reset
The motivational speaker from the Netherlands, Wim Hof, found that taking a cold shower helped him gain clarity, not to mention the boost it gave him upon waking up. Cold showers (though not for everyone) can keep your mind alert, focusing on what truly matters. That jolt when you’re exposed to the cold? That’s where your mental reset happens. Embracing discomfort introduces a filter in your mind.
Mental resets are key tools in breaking bad habits and fostering resilience. And yes, they’re actually beneficial for your physical health too. Not a fan of cold showers? Try another mental reset technique:
- Engage in an intense workout.
- Dance to your favorite tunes.
- Relax in a hot sauna.
- Have a strong peppermint candy.
Common Questions about Mental Strength
1. Why should I foster a confident mind?
Confidence enables you to fully showcase your capabilities. Whether you’re performing in a competitive sports match or delivering a speech, having both confidence and a clear mind aids in taking decisive actions.
2. What are the signs of inner strength?
Individuals with inner strength often display several evident traits, such as decisiveness, tolerance, flexibility, kindness, compassion, understanding when to step back, respect, empathy, clear thinking, and leadership qualities.
3. Is mental resilience a skill?
Mental resilience can be developed and honed, making it categorizable as a skill. Unlike mental health, which might deteriorate, resilience can be improved and implemented even during peak times. Even if it’s not an innate characteristic, life events can significantly bolster it.
In Conclusion
Boosting mental strength and resilience is achievable with the right motivation. It’s a skill anyone can cultivate, even if it doesn’t come naturally to them. All you need is the correct drive and strategies.
Jot down these key points in your diary and refer to them next time you’re faced with a mental challenge:
- Everyone experiences both lows and highs. Mental strength isn’t a one-size-fits-all skill — someone adept at one-on-one meetings might struggle with public speaking. Identify what sends you into a downward spiral and what boosts your confidence to better control your mindset.
- Use the 3-second rule to get things done. If you’re feeling lazy, anxious, or shy about doing something (be it hopping onto a video call or asking someone out), count to 3 in your mind. Once you hit 3, take action!
- Harness the power of music. Choose your favorite tunes to pep you up and clear your head.
- Step out of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself daily by doing something that feels uncomfortable, be it pushing your physical limits or conversing with a stranger.
