Mental toughness and Resilience. Self-discipline. Self-improvement. Positive thinking.
How often do you stumble across these terms? Well, all of these terms are essential to developing good habits and practices in life, which can, later on, be passed down to others and from one generation to the next.
The challenges of life can sometimes be overbearing and unfair to everyone. However, in most cases, we must remind ourselves that tough times never last; only tough people stay!
Also, most stressful and challenging events that we encounter in life are only temporary, so developing coping strategies can support the outcome and our mental health.
Building mental toughness is crucial for so many areas of life. Mental toughness determines how we manage our thoughts, emotions, energy, and productivity.
Being able to cope better with hardship and negativity and training yourself into healthy habits will keep you thinking and behaving positively.
Imagine that your brain needs to be worked out the same way your body does every time you exercise. Just as sustained, regular exercise is good for your body; sustained, regular meditation can help your brain — and that’s where Headspace comes in.
Mental toughness begins with self-awareness. By figuring out your vision and purpose, you are already on the path to building mental strength.
Define your own identity. Understand your strengths and weaknesses, know your roles, know your position, and know your goals. Those who are self-aware are stronger mentally because they know how to deal with any circumstance and environment.
Focusing on the fundamentals is particularly helpful as you are directing your mental energy wisely. Starting with the fundamentals involves focusing only on the things that matter the most. This helps us to eliminate distractions and cut through the noise.
Remaining in control of your own state of mind is the most essential part. There is no use in controlling things that can’t be controlled – such as money and people.
Owning yourself responsible and never attempting to seek permission and authority allows such people to successfully make their own way in life.
Consistency? Mentally strong people are not born to be strong mentally, but they learned along the way. Success doesn’t come in a day or two, and mentally strong people understand the power of consistency. They take tiny actions continuously and focus on their progress. They build habits consciously.
Seeing things as what they really are are vital. Mentally strong people do not continue to make excuses or stories for themselves. However, initially, this is not so easy, and the ability to see a matter for what it really is requires practice.
You will not be able to achieve this by hiding your true self and the reality of issues in life. Accept reality and then take action to fight against any adversity.
Most people want to predict the future, and certainty and safety are basic human necessities. However, there will always be uncertainty in life, and you must embrace uncertainty and keep moving ahead.
Curiosity and the willingness to figure things out make people stronger mentally. By learning from defeat and learning, you are building Resilience, which is precisely what makes you more capable of moving past any difficulties in life.
Keep a willingness to learn and expand and see how some changes may affect how you view things.
Most people fail because they give in to temptations or give up on challenges too quickly. Mentally strong people understand how to work hard and contribute more now before they even think about returns.
Finally, optimism. One thing that moves us forward is hope. If there is no hope, there is no action, and thus, no outcome or results. We must all begin by believing in ourselves, faith, and our capabilities in life.
Failing to see hope in many activities you do will only make you die before you even try.
Begin your day with a positive affirmation. Instead of letting negative emotions and a pessimistic view dominate you, start your day with positive affirmations.
Talk to yourself in the mirror, even if you feel silly, with statements like, “Today will be a good day” or “I’m feeling really confident today.” You will be amazed how much your day improves.
With that being said, focus on the present! In most situations, the sources of negativity stem from a memory of a recent event or the exaggerated imagination of a potential future event. Stay in the present moment.
For example, turning failures into lessons. Nobody is 100% perfect! You are going to make mistakes and experience failure in multiple contexts. However, instead of focusing on how you failed, think about what you’re going to do next time – turn your loss into a lesson.
Moreover, almost invariably, you’re going to encounter obstacles throughout the day—there’s no such thing as a perfect day. When you encounter such a challenge, focus on the benefits, no matter how slight or unimportant they seem.
For example, if the store is out of the food you want to prepare, think about the thrill of trying something new.
After all, mental toughness is all about how you perceive things and the way of your decision-making. You can help yourself by being around mentally tough people. We are all shaped by our environment.
In many cases, we grow stronger mentally by picking up some of the traits mentioned above.
To conclude, all you need is to invest a little bit of effort, time, energy and be willing to be uncomfortable for you to really build your ability to be mentally tough and not give up on the hardships of life.