Amazing Ways to Boost Your Mental Strength

Lisa Franchi February 10, 2015

Just as we train our body hard to stay fit and healthy, we should also train our mind to improve our ability to regulate our emotions, behave appropriately regardless of the circumstances we’re in, and develop a more positive perspective.

You may feel like you are mentally strong in times of happiness and wins. But you will never know how mentally strong you are until life knocks you off your feet. When adversities come, that’s the time our mind is tested. And what could be a better way to prepare than train our mind as soon as possible.

The question is how?

There are many exercises that can help you develop mental strength and resilience. Here are some of the most effective:

Learn how to tolerate discomfort.

Being mentally strong doesn’t mean you don’t feel negative emotions. It is more of experiencing those emotions but not letting yourself (including your actions and decisions) be influenced by them. Mental strength works like a muscle. If you work it out, it will hurt at first. But as you develop leaner muscles, you become stronger and more capable of doing more exercises. To strengthen your mental health, it really is a good idea to practise tolerating a little discomfort. If you are anxious about certain things – whether it’s meeting new people, speaking in front, or travelling alone, allow yourself to step out of your comfort zone. As you get used to it, you will realise that some things are not as bad or as painful as we think they are.

Spend your mental energy wisely.

Don’t waste your mental strength and power ruminating on the bad things that happened to you – particularly the negative experiences you’ve had. Don’t waste it worrying about things that have not happened yet, either. Save it for the more productive, motivating and uplifting tasks. Use it to solve problems, not ruminate about them. Use it to perform well in what you do, and in setting goals. Expending your mental energy is a habit you can adopt, if you keep trying it.

Identify and remember your core beliefs.

Your core beliefs are central to your mental health. Whatever they are, they affect every area of your life, particularly your well-being. It is important to be aware of what your core beliefs are, and replace them if they are counterintuitive. For instance, if your core belief is that you are bound to fail, so you are. That’s because in the very first place, you lose your enthusiasm to do your best, take risks, and do better. Modifying counterintuitive core beliefs can take time and hard work. But the reward is definitely worth it.

Make time for reflection.

In this busy, loud world, few people often take time to just be by themselves and reflect. Most of us are too busy working that we tend to have little time for quiet reflection. But if you ever want to strengthen your mental prowess, you need solitude. Set a “me-time” wherein you can just focus on your body, your thoughts and emotions. Don’t conceal or deny unwanted emotions. Just let them flow and pass. Reflect on the learning you gained, not on the failures you had. Reflect on your progress, not the delays and other nuisances.

A healthy life is not only consists of a healthy body, but a healthy mind as well. And trying out these exercises can greatly help boost your mental strength.