What is mental strength?
Mental strength is the cognitive and emotional skill of reframing negative thoughts and adverse circumstances. Being mentally strong, or mentally tough, helps us resist both internal and external influences that weaken our self-confidence and well-being.
Why is mental strength more important than physical?
Mental and physical training are both important. But mental power is more important, because if we haven’t developed the mental power of focusing our attention in stressful situations, then we can’t apply our physical power
How to build mental Strength?
- Mindfulness
When you practice mindfulness, you improve your ability to respond instead of react. You might notice yourself less anxious when talking to your manager, or less likely to pick fights with your partner. Try mindful breathing, walking, meditation, or joining a virtual yoga class.
- Work with a professional
Working with a mental health professional or coach can be really helpful in developing mental strength. After all, the battle you’re most often fighting happens in your head. Coaches and therapists are both highly skilled at teaching you to challenge negative thought patterns so that they don’t unconsciously run your behaviour. Psychotherapists often do this by using CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy. This technique is especially helpful for mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
- Keep a journal
If you want to check in with your mental strength on a regular basis, keeping a journal is a great idea. It can help you keep tabs on your personal growth over time, which is great for building your self-esteem. There are no rules for what you put in your journal. Try writing your goal-setting or making notes of any stressors that seem particularly overwhelming.
- Practice self-compassion
Many of us think that we’ll somehow be more productive if we beat ourselves up, but that’s absolutely not the case. Building self-compassion actually helps us build resilience. Focusing on what we do well — instead of all of our failures — keeps us in a growth mindset while avoiding the downward spiral. It helps us say, “That didn’t go so well, but here’s what I learned — and how I can do better next time.”
- Get out of your comfort zone
Want to know if you’ve developed the core skills of mental toughness? Throw yourself in the deep end! Like many skills, mental strength can’t be mastered without practice. At some point, you might have to do something new, unfamiliar, or scary — and that’s a good thing.
Start small or start big — it doesn’t matter. Sign up for a class or grab coffee with someone who intimidates you. Whatever it is, pay attention to how you respond when the scary feelings come up. Write them down in your journal, and then respond to them as you would to a good friend.
- Develop a daily routine
If you were building physical strength, you’d do reps at the gym. To build mental strength, you have to build daily routines that reinforce the new skills that you’re practicing.
Be sure that your daily routine also includes self-care practices. Often, when people are on the “personal development band-wagon,” they feel that every area of their life needs to be “optimized.” Start small and build up. Prioritize basic wellness, like getting enough rest, watching for the signs of physical and mental fatigue, and being mindful about what you eat.
- Keep your connections strong
One of the strongest predictors of life satisfaction is our relationships with others. Don’t try to do it all alone. We need to have loved ones close to us — to celebrate our wins, push us forward, and comfort us in tough times.
Your support system is your therapist and your coach, but it’s also your friends and family. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself. Have fun, spend time with the people you love, and do things that make you happy. Joy insulates us against stress and keeps us going when we want to give up the fight.
Mental strength isn’t just about pushing forward, just as physical strength isn’t about working out all the time. It’s about knowing how to find balance — to both work and play, to love and lose, to push and praise, with equal ease and grace.