To succeed, you need more than diligence and perseverance. It is also vital that you cultivate a strong mind.
Mental strength is defined as living in a state of mindfulness. It allows you to be fully aware of your emotions and thoughts. It also allows you to use them to take concrete actions in your life.
Having this kind of strength means that you are smart in how you should respond in certain situations. Nonetheless, it is a skill that you can learn, develop, and master over time.
If you want to boost your mental strength, we have listed down seven activities to help you do so.
Go for a walk
Engaging in regular exercise such as going for a walk contributes to better mental health. This can be as simple as walking for half an hour to boost your mental strength and health.
This also allows you to keep all those negative thoughts at bay and beat mental conditions like depression. Some studies even show that performing light exercises almost have the same effects as antidepressant medications.
So, if you want to boost your mental strength, then you need to start by exercising.
Practice yoga
For hundreds of years, people have been practicing yoga to enhance their overall well-being.
This age-old practice helps reduce stress and boosts the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA.) Increased levels of this neurotransmitter minimize anxiety and enhance mental tenacity. This eventually leads to improved mental strength.
By learning to do yoga at home or by joining a yoga class, you’ll feel much more mentally strong in the long run.
Spend time hiking
Hiking allows you to take your time to enjoy the natural scenery around you. Apart from that, soaking yourself in nature is itself a wonderful experience.
You are burning calories without noticing it since you’re too busy exploring your surroundings.
This kind of outdoor activity also helps people who feel depressed and sad. With the help of your trekking poles and exposing yourself to nature, you’ll be able to ground yourself. As such, you can calm your anxious mind from all worries.
Try weight lifting
Approximately 15% of the total US population have been experiencing anxiety which can last up to 15-30 days every month.
Symptoms often include apprehension, fear, nervousness, and worry. Without any intervention, this can lead to poor sleeping patterns, body aches and pains, and physical limitations.
Studies reveal that weight lifting can be an excellent intervention for anxiety. The great news is that you don’t need any high-intensity training to reap the benefits.
In fact, moderate-intensity training is already effective in decreasing anxiety.
Take deep breaths
Spending a couple of minutes doing deep breathing can help improve your attention span and concentration.
Counting these breaths can be helpful for people who consider themselves multi-taskers.
Several studies reveal that people who multitask usually have difficulty performing specific tasks. More so if those tasks require focus and concentration.
By taking deep breaths each day, you can significantly enhance your focus, improving mental performance.
Don’t forget to smile
If you’re feeling pain, smiling makes you feel less pain. Frowning, on the other hand, will intensify that pain.
Studies show that smiling affects your physical state. Smiling reduces your heart rate if you’re doing a stressful activity, even if you’re not particularly happy.
Therefore, the next time you’ll undergo a painful procedure, imagine yourself in your ‘happy place,’ or think about a joke that made you laugh that way. It won’t be hurting as much.
Ignore the things that you can’t control
Stoicism is a philosophy that encourages its followers to endure hardships and pain. More than that, they should not show any discomfort or emotion.
In life, there will always be things that you don’t have control of.
But you have complete control of how you react to these things. If there’s something that you think you have no control of, don’t respond to it.
This is also a great way to boost your mental fortitude.
Get enough sleep and rest
Do you know that depriving yourself of sleep will negatively impact your mood? So, try to go to bed at regular times each day, practicing good sleep habits.
This includes shutting down your screens at least an hour before going to bed. You should keep in mind to lie down on your bed when sleeping only and restrict your caffeine intake.
Final Thoughts
Mental strength is an important quality one should have and develop. You might not develop it right away, but what’s important is that you get started and stay consistent with your practice.
Also, keep in mind that the journey to developing your mental strength is never a straight line. It is okay to miss out today, as long as you will not miss out tomorrow.
Lastly, you should not beat yourself in case you forgot to be mindful about a particular situation. What matters is that you are learning from your actions.