How These 8 Strategies Helped Me in Building Mental Strength
- Cheshta Mann
- Jul 11, 2020
- 7 min read
We focus on keeping ourselves physically fit. Most of us have set goals for achieving that beachbody and wrapping ourselves up in those skin-hugging attires.
It’s great to be a better version of yourself and taking care of your health. However, I have seen that the importance of mental health is something that gets neglected at times.
When I started with my freelance career, I was excited to know how this ‘make money working from home’ worked. In a matter of time, I had big projects, more clients, and ultimately, more money.
But I was so lost in this process of minting money that I had forgotten to cherish little things around me. I had no time for catching up with my friends. I had forgotten the last time when I was really present in the moment without any thoughts about my work.
With my energies gradually draining over time, I realized that I needed to emphasize on both my physical and mental well-being. I understood that the money will come and go, but the health, if not properly taken care of, will only get worse by time.
Emphasizing on mental health braces you up for upcoming life challenges and makes you strong enough to face them and handle them gracefully.
While many among us might already be familiar with the essence of building mental strength and deal courageously with problems, there are some who still find it difficult to face such challenges and bounce back to the normal.
We all wish to have that superpower of facing any challenges in our lives. We want to be someone who is pretty good at maintaining a balance between his or her professional life.
We keep awaiting a miracle all our lives that will bring a shift in how we think. But what if I told you that the secret is all within yourself?
If your perspective towards life is positive, then you can beat any odds. Now you must be thinking ‘what it really takes to be mentally strong’? Why not take a look at the following points and ultimately, find your answer.
Take one step at a time When was the last time you watched an intriguing movie while keeping your smartphone aside? While taking a walk, when were you focusing on your breath and just cherishing the nature and chirping of birds?
We feel that urge of doing simultaneous things to save us some time. It’s good to own that ‘multitasker’ badge sometimes, but if we make it our habit, we’ll be overwhelmed and lost worrying about the next thing to do.
There won’t be any enjoyment. There won’t be any sense of achievement. There’d be more worries and stress thinking about the next step, thereby causing a toll on your mental health.
So, the next time anything you do from washing dishes to talking to a friend or colleague, give yourself a gentle reminder to be fully present.
I try to follow this tip whenever possible. For example, when I am doing my full-time job, especially in these WFH scenarios, I just forget about everything else, be it freelancing, my writers’ submissions, my daily chores, or anything that acts as a distraction.
In this case, instilling my energies totally on my job not only helps me with better focus but also increases my productivity and quality levels. This results in having a sense of self-achievement and recognition for work among my peers, and more confidence in myself.
Set mini-goals Be it getting certified as an Accountant, reaching the $1 million mark working as a freelance writer, or something else, we all have set at least one specific goal for ourselves.
But if we follow the realistic approach and divide our goals into small achievable targets, then it looks more feasible and gives us a clear picture of where we are and how close we are toward achieving the objective.
However, setting these mini-goals should not have any impact on your potential at all. You always should focus on improving your caliber so as to achieve the best.
Hitting every mini-goal, you will feel confident and know that you are on the right track. For example, to lose 15 kgs in a few months, you can work out for at least 30 minutes every day. Start with something until you achieve the final outcome.
I was an intellectual yet laid-back kid back in my school times. But my mother, being a teacher, always knew how to keep my focus on. So, whenever there were some tests or school homework to be completed, she used to set ‘mini-milestones’.
Every time I achieved one, we used to have a 5-minute break that we utilized for having my favorite snacks, playing badminton (I used to be a sucker at it though), watching Tom & Jerry, etc.
So, my point is that she never made me feel overwhelmed with academic pressure. And this strategy helped me understand how important it was to be easy on yourself and create small goals for reaching that giant one.
Practice mindfulness For offering your mind a break from daily worries and anxieties, spare a few minutes daily for being mindful. Keep a check on your emotions and find out your current state of mind.
Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience — Jon Kabat-Zinn
Be persistent and consistent in practicing mindfulness, and you will see a positive impact on your energies and thoughts. Many apps also proffer mindfulness exercises, thereby, making it easier for you to stay sane daily. For staying mindful and being sane, I have tried using several apps such as Calm, YourFabDaily, and Headspace. They are especially good for beginners who find it hard to focus in the initial stages.
These apps have helped me in creating and sticking to a schedule where all I do is focus on my thoughts. Relying on them was important since I find it hard to get started with something new and then stick to it. However, after a week when it had become a habit, it was easier for me to find some time for self-reflection and being mindful of my thoughts.
Allocate ‘self-care’ time From writing your thoughts in a journal, treating yourself with your favorite food to going for digital detoxification, there are many things you can do to practice self-care.
Treat yourself! Just pick anything that you love doing and see how it creates a positive impact on your mood. For seeing better results, try following your personalized self-care regime daily.
After having a really tiring day at work, my theme of self-care revolves around treating myself with something sweet, maybe a cake, chocolate, or a full bucket of ice-cream.
On weekends, it can be as little as taking a break from social media or taking a stroll in the park. The idea is to make yourself happy and feel good about yourself.
Learn from your shortcomings Were you rejected in your last interview? Were you unable to achieve your set goals? If something doesn’t go as per the plan, don’t play the blame-game, rather take the action.
Don’t make yourself responsible for what went wrong. Instead, analyze the situation and note down the points that could have been improved and brought you one step closer to your objective. Do the self-analysis and see them as improvement opportunities rather than your failures or mistakes.
I followed this approach when I got rejected in a couple of interviews. In spite of being a novice in this professional, I knew that my communication skills would help me ace an interview. But, unfortunately, I was wrong!!
Cracking an interview is not a cake-walk, and this is what I realized after my continuous rejections. I got demotivated, but I didn’t let that question my strengths.
I prepared a plan, wrote most commonly asked interview questions in a journal, and practiced them like crazy. After all, how could I dare to miss the next opportunity knowing that practicing for the interview was all I needed. And thankfully, I was able to crack my next job interview which also happens to be my current job.
Have a positive outlook
For being mentally fit, this is one of the most significant things to follow.
Thinking about failures or negativity won’t take you anywhere. Try to perceive things differently. Replace ‘What If’s’ with ‘I can’ or ‘I shall’ to instill a sense of self-confidence and be optimistic.
It’s not possible to bid goodbye to all of your negative emotions. However, by replacing extreme pessimism with optimism will keep you on track and help you deal with ‘not-so-good’ days.
A girl who had not stepped out of her home town planned to move to a whole new country. Yes, that’s right. While I was terrified taking this plunge, the only thing that kept me motivated was a better future for me and my family.
Had I not envisioned this earlier, I won’t have been sitting here writing this post and feeling grateful for making this decision.
Create boundaries
I decreased the amount of time spent on IG, Facebook, Snapchat, etc. and started investing that time in developing my own skills, reading, and self-care. Honestly, it was difficult for a couple of days, but after that, it really didn’t matter. And now with Medium being in the picture, a job, and freelancing, sometimes, I don’t even bother checking out my social media accounts.
In this tech-oriented era, where everyone is obsessed about sharing their cool lives on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, etc., it becomes necessary to set some boundaries and not get distracted by their lifestyles.
Stop comparing yourself with others. Stop questioning your capabilities after seeing somebody else’s achievements. If you feel like saying NO to something, then say that.
Social media can be tempting at times, but don’t let it interfere with your mental strength. Set a time for using social media apps for the day so as to stay more calm and peaceful.
Talk to a therapist
While you feel confused about making the decision, it’d be good to mention that talking it out with your loved ones or the therapist will help you feel better. If you are someone who feels a lot more anxious, worried, or stressed out, then it’s the right time to seek help.
My therapists are my best friend who is also a Clinical Psychologist and my boyfriend. (I tell you they must be feeling proud while reading this.)
Whatever thought I have (even if that makes zero sense), I just share that with them. And the results? It makes me feel better and reduces my unwanted stress levels. Yes, that’s the power of sharing!
But again, it all depends on your preference and comfort. If you feel that reaching out to a professional is more suitable for you, then please do your research, find an expert, and share your concerns.
Being mentally strong is not something that you do one day and then forget about it for the rest of the year. Strive to practice these tips daily and create a positive vision for yourself.
But always remember, mental fitness is a journey, not the final destination. So, keep taking these small steps daily and cherish small achievements along the way.
Comments