A strong mind means you can navigate life’s hurdles and stressors with ease and without letting those tough moments hold you back (sounds great, right?).
Your mind is powerful! It can be the difference between you completing a task or achieving a goal—or not.
Yet, if you aren’t flexing your mind, as you would any muscle in your body, it’s also easy to build walls with limiting beliefs and allow negative thoughts to spiral out of control.
Luckily, there are many ways you can become more mentally strong. The truth is the power of your mind is completely within your control. Sometimes, we just all need a little reminder and a little nudge to do the things that create a strong mind.
So, what should you be doing? How can you become mentally strong?
What Makes a Healthy Mind?
A healthy mind involves emotional, social, and psychological wellness. This spills over into how you feel, think, and act, as well as your ability to cope, handle stress, and make decisions in your life.
Similar to how what you eat impacts how your physical body functions, what you consume, mentally, (like the news, social media, etc.) can have profound impacts on your mental and cognitive function.
Additionally, the mind impacts your body—and vice versa. If your body is unhealthy, it’s likely your mental health will suffer. If your mental health is struggling, it’s likely your physical body will also experience pitfalls, such as illness.
What Are the Signs of Mentally Strong Person?
At the end of the day, a mentally strong person is able to regulate and manage their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to get what they want out of life.
Generally, a mentally strong person won’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves, won’t allow others to have their power, won’t shy away from change, and don’t worry about pleasing everyone—some things that many of us tend to do!
In reality, they open their arms to change. They know they have the power to create the change they want to see in their life.
They don’t worry about the past, nor do they worry about making everyone happy, as they know this is an impossibility that isn’t worth striving for.
Additionally, mentally strong people:
- Self-monitor
- Accept any consequences of their actions or choices
- Derive meaning from past experiences of hurt and pain
- Deal with challenges head-on
Having a strong mind can set you up for the success you want to see in your life. So, how can you boost the strength of your mind?
How Can I Become Mentally Strong?
Inevitably, most of us would prefer not to get knocked down by life’s challenges.
So, if you find yourself struggling to persevere and be resilient during tough times, it might be time to do something about it. Yes, you can do this! Here are 10 ways you can build a strong mind.
1. Set Your Intentions
Some of the most successful people with strong minds have been known to have an undying belief that they will achieve what they set out to achieve. They set their intention for their future and don’t waver from it.
So, what can you take from this?
Set an intention! Be intentional about what you do. If you aren’t, you might just end up in someone else’s story over your own, heading in a direction that isn’t toward your goals or optimal life. (Hint: Mantras can be a huge help with this!)
Related Article: Do You Take Things Personally? 5 Mantras To Help You Stop
2. Take Time to Think
In today’s go-go-go society, it’s easy to get caught up in being “busy” and constantly “doing.”
But as humans, we need time to think. This time offers clarity. (And hey, if you’re getting grumpy around people, it’s probably because you need some time to yourself to just “be” and to think!)
Some activities that can help with this include journaling, as well as a popular go-to for mental health that is our next tip!
3. Meditate
Meditation offers you an opportunity to be mindful and aware of what you’re thinking.
While this isn’t necessarily the purpose, when you meditate, thoughts will undeniably pop into your head. And during meditation, you simply observe these thoughts, allowing them to pass without engaging in them.
In many ways, meditation helps you gain back control over your emotions, thoughts, and feelings. This can help you self-regulate, as well as help you find peace in this chaotic world.
Start meditating by setting a timer for just two minutes a day. Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Every time you get distracted, just bring your attention back to your breath. When two minutes becomes easy, add another minute, then another, and so on.
Ready to try meditation? Check out our free beginner meditation videos on our YouTube channel!
4. Practice Mindfulness
Caught up in worries about the past?
Or feeling anxious about the future?
Try focusing on the present moment. In truth, the present moment is actually all we have. This can not only promote a strong mind but also help you connect better with those you love and care about.
5. Take on Challenges
“One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.” — Albert Einstein
Sure, you can go after the easy goals. But this isn’t challenging yourself or fostering reliance of the mind.
Instead, create those big goals. Push yourself to go after what you may perceive as near-impossible. Not only will you go beyond where you ever thought possible, but you’ll flex that mentally resilient muscle and vastly improve your future and entire life.
6. Look on the Bright Side
Negative thoughts are hard to shake.
Yet, combatting these thoughts is important if you’re going to overcome them (and prevent that spiral that we’ve all been down!). When you notice you’re thinking negatively, try to come up with a positive thought.
Yes, this can be hard. And it may feel super unnatural, but practice makes perfect. Plus, even through failure, there’s often a positive, such as a lesson. Writing out how you’re feeling and how you would like to feel can help here as well!
7. Don’t Let Fear Stop You
Fear is something that is wired into our brains thanks to our ancestral roots.
Back in the day, fear protected us and maintained survival. For instance, it was something that helped drive us to run away from a threat or fight it. And while fear definitely serves some purpose today, sometimes, it can freeze us from taking steps toward what we know we want.
In these cases, it can help to evaluate the fear. It may even prove helpful to look at the worst-case scenario. For instance, if you fail, you figure out what doesn’t work and perhaps learn how to move forward.
8. Watch Your Self-Talk
You have to be your own best friend!
Would you tell your best friend how awful and horrible she or he looks? Probably not! So, let’s steer clear of treating ourselves this way.
Instead, become aware of your self-talk.
- What do you say to yourself on a daily basis?
- What can you do to improve this?
Sometimes, daily affirmations can help. For instance, stating each day, “I am enough” can help overcome those negative self-confidence comments you make toward yourself and even, eventually, eliminate them.
Related Article: Top 25 Positive Affirmations to Start Your Week Off Right
9. Practice the Attitude of Gratitude
Individuals with a strong mind appreciate what they have.
They don’t focus on “the more,” which, as humans, we are often inclined to do. When you start comparing yourself to others or wishing you could have more in your life, look around.
What five things can you be grateful for right now?
10. Uncover Solutions
Problems are part of life.
We can’t get away from them. But what we can do is find solutions we are happy with. This can also be more effective and efficient than dwelling on the problem and how much you dislike it.
Solution-oriented thinking allows you to move past the problem and onward toward your success.
Flex That Strong Mind!
It’s entirely possible for anyone to achieve.
All it takes is a little practice, consistency, effort, and time, and you’ll be more mentally strong than you ever thought possible. You’ll be able to take on challenges and hurdles and overcome them without letting them knock you down.
Like building a house, you have to work at creating a strong mind. Now is as better of a time as any!
Read Next: Your Ultimate Mental Health Checklist & The 7 Components of Good Mental Health
Editor’s note: This article was originally published Sep 14, 2022 and has been updated to improve reader experience.
Photo by Allan Mas