Keeping Mentally Strong: 4 Ways To Be Mentally Resilient

There is such a big emphasis on the importance of mental health these days. The stigma against such conditions is breaking down slowly because people now understand that they have certain tendencies that make them vulnerable. Whether they are wounds from the past, traumatic experiences, or genetic predisposition, many people want to find ways on keeping mentally strong despite internal and external factors.

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Keeping mentally strong: My personal experience

There are many instances in my life where I had to know how to be physically fit and mentally strong. The journey to motherhood is an experience I can recall as something challenging for me, as I had a difficult postpartum recovery. It was also the time where I was pushing myself to finish my remaining school requirements, not having expected to deliver my baby too soon. On top of it, I had to quickly accept that my husband won’t be by my side during delivery.

Learn how you can overcome depression here.

The pandemic also shifted many areas of my routine and my expectations for 2020. Needless to say, it was a challenging year for everyone, so it was the time where I focused on self-care and personal development. I am thankful that despite all that has happened to me and everyone, I and my loved ones came out this year thriving and content. Thus, I wanted to share some tips on how to stay mentally strong despite difficulties you may face, as inspired by the 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, a book that I am recently reading.

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Keeping Mentally Strong: Strategies to Remember

Mental strength isn’t exclusive to people who are free from illness, whether physical or psychological. You can be mentally strong despite your circumstances, and here are some mindsets you can adapt.

Avoid self-pity

One of the first traits mentioned in the book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do is to avoid feelings of “self-pity”. How is self-pity defined? These are instances when one dwells on thoughts of loss, being victimized, or staying defeated. It is one thing to grieve, but also it is one thing to move forward change things you can control.

In the book, the author mentioned losing her husband and parent within a close time frame. She mentioned, although it was tempting to dwell in self-pity and having “woe is me” or acting like a victim of life, she realized that self-pity didn’t bring her anywhere. It caused her to think of situation more poorly than it actually was, instead of focusing on what she still has, such as support from her remaining family, her health, and her life.

To avoid self-pity, one must stop excessively ruminating on what went wrong and rather focus on what can be done. For example, if you lost a job, instead of being stuck in a self-pity rut, you can find opportunities (even small) that lead to your ideal situation. This doesn’t mean that you have to achieve your goal right away. What is important is that you’re taking small steps to improve. If you are grieving a loss of a loved one, celebrating their life and seeing the beauty in every day are some small things you can do to move forward.

Accepting change

Change is often stereotyped as synonymous with stress, but many times, it shouldn’t be perceived that way. If you’ve heard of the old adage: “Change is the only constant thing in life”, we must know better to become prepared with it.

This is a realization that I encountered after many shifting seasons in my life. There were so many big changes that I experienced right after graduating college. I accepted working in 3 workplace settings, left one job, changed churches, broke up from a long-term relationship, started my private practice, had a new relationship, migrated to the U.S., became a military spouse, became a mom, and so forth. When you accept that life is all about seasons and not one thing remains constant, it is one of the powerful things you can do on how to keep your mind mentally strong.

Find ways to fight back from depression here.

Even in painful seasons, know that things can change. Even in the midst of difficulties, know things will eventually change, and it all depends on the choices you make. If you’re a person of faith, know that there is One constant Anchor to these life’s changes, and that is God.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Even if this imperfect life is built to have changes, we can hold on to God’s unfailing and unchanging ways.

Understanding that peace of mind is power

Sometimes, you will face situations that will disturb your peace of mind. The author mentions that the interruption of one’s peace of mind causes emotions such as anxiety and depression.

Protecting your peace of mind is crucial to living a happy and fulfilling life. We can intentionally or unintentionally invite circumstances that damage this peace of mind in our lives. To avoid losing your peace of mind, some things we can do are:

• Make choices that align with what we believe in despite others’ narratives and what’s found in popular media
• Avoid a people-pleasing attitude that comes at the expense of one’s wellness
• Say “no” when we mean it, and decline offers that don’t resonate with you
• Be at peace with everyone as much as possible (Romans 12:18)

Protecting your peace of mind and not worrying about external opinions while keeping true to your beliefs allows you to hold on to your sense of self as an individual.

Resenting other people’s successes

Another important facet on how to keep your mind mentally strong is to avoid comparing yourself to other people. Comparing your life to others is like arguing between apples and oranges. There is no better fruit–both are intrinsically and extrinsically different, raised in different environments, have different purposes and appeals to varied kinds of people.

The same can be said about our lives. The author reminds us, if our intention to succeed is out of resentment that others have “bested” us, we won’t be truly contented. On the flip side, constant resentment can also lead to inactivity, thinking that we can never do what others can.

Thus, instead of feeling jealousy, we can think of ourselves like vehicles running on the road of life. We have our own lanes, 13 billion lanes to be exact! Your road in life is unique and should not be compared to others. Your only point of comparison is who you are now and who you were in the past.

That’s it! I hope you found these strategies on keeping mentally strong valuable. As always, you can check out the book that inspired this blog, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. Find in Amazon.

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• How To Develop Narrative Skills In Children

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