Improve Your Mental Strength

Curiosity, rationalization, and laziness are no match against courage, self-control, and mental toughness. - John Bytheway

When the going gets tough . . . a lot of us have some wine and go lay down. But some people seem to never get stuck in life. They go and go, always efficient at the things they do, and they take nearly everything in stride.  They have a mental toughness, a fortitude, that seems a gift from above. And in many cases it is. A strong faith in something greater than ourselves can go a long way in making it through life's greatest challenges, but there are other things we can do to improve our mental strength for dealing with whatever life throws at us. 

Forbes, in their article,  5 Powerful Exercises to Improve Your Mental Strength, defines Mental Strength in this way: “Mental strength means that you regulate your emotions, manage your thoughts, and behave in a positive manner, despite your circumstances. Developing mental strength is about finding the courage to live according to your values and being bold enough to create your own definition of success.”

While some may be more inclined, experts agreed mental toughness can be cultivated. PsychCentral.com author, Gary Seeman, Ph.D, identifies 10 specific attributes of mental toughness that can be developed: Intention, Effort, Courage, Awareness, Critical Thinking, Perspective, Patience, Flexibility, Self Care and Support. He spends the rest of the article, The Psychology of Mental Toughness, discussing how therapy can help stuck people develop these attributes.   

Aside from heading to therapy to cultivate skills, there are some behaviors people can model.  Here’s a list of specific dos and don’ts -- what folks with mental toughness, and those without, do in their daily lives.  

5 Things Stuck People Do:

1. Avoid Self Reflection
2. Avoid Change & Risk
3. Worry about Things they Cannot Control (like what others think)
4. Envy and Resent Others & Pity Themselves
5. Feel Entitled

5 Things Mentally Strong people DO:

1. Know their Core Beliefs and Values
2. Think Positive
3. Use Time Wisely (they can say No)  
4. Embrace Change & Failure
5. Tolerate their Own Discomfort

Want to hear less from experts and more from a mentally tough person?  Checkout the advice on mental strength from this Navy Seal and martial arts expert.