7 WAYS TO GROW YOUR MENTAL TOUGHNESS

7 WAYS TO GROW YOUR MENTAL TOUGHNESS

Mental toughness can benefit you in many ways. When you’re mentally tough, it’s easier to overcome challenges, whether it’s mental, physical, emotional, or something that’s keeping you from achieving your goals.

Luckily, you don’t have to be born mentally tough. You can cultivate toughness. And, you can grow your mental toughness step-by-step from wherever your starting point happens to be.

HERE ARE SOME STRATEGIES THAT WILL HELP YOU CREATE A LEVEL OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS THAT WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON YOUR PERFORMANCE IN ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE:

1.????Relaxation. I know, I know, you’ve probably attempted meditation in the past and maybe you couldn’t stick with it. Or, you’re a fierce advocate for the practice.

● Of course, forcing yourself to ‘meditate’ can be exhausting and uncomfortable, both physically and emotionally. It’s uncomfortable to sit in the same position for any length of time. Your brain is also used to a lot more stimulation than meditation provides.

● So, start slow. If two minutes is all you can do for now then that’s where you should start and build up to a more-lengthy practice. When you teach yourself to sit still and quiet your mind, you also practice mental toughness. Consistency is key here. I have a short audio recording that will help with this. Simply send me a private message and I’ll send it your way.

2.????Physical discomfort. A cold shower, hot weather, an exhausting workout, or staying awake when you’re very tired: These are all examples of physical discomfort. Put yourself in physically uncomfortable situations and see how long you can last. Obviously, you want to avoid causing yourself any harm.

● Keep in mind that the level of discomfort doesn’t have to be as extreme as the Wim Hoff cold therapy method. Mild discomfort over a longer period of time can be just as challenging.

3.????Emotional discomfort. Make yourself bored. Introduce yourself to five strangers a week. Ask someone out on a date. Sit, stare at the wall, and count until you give up. Boredom is a basic emotion of discomfort. Test yourself each day.

4.????Finish what you start. Most of us want to quit before we’re done. Writing that piece of content can wait until tomorrow. That last bench press repetition isn’t necessary. Why pound away on the treadmill for an hour when you can quit after 45 minutes? Some of those dirty dishes need to soak anyway.

● Quitting is the result of either physical or emotional discomfort. Learning how to finish what you start is a great habit to grow and display your mental toughness. It’s also great for your overall success in life.

5.????Only concern yourself with what you can control. One way to be tougher is to focus all of your mental and physical resources on just one thing - something that you can control. Avoid spreading yourself too thin. Why worry about something you can’t do anything about?

6.????Avoid complaining. Complaining is a demonstration of weakness. If you’re tough, you don’t complain, because nothing can bother you. Show yourself and the world that you’re tough by not complaining about anything.

● That doesn’t mean you have to tolerate something you don’t like. If you can change it, change it. If you can’t, let it go and keep yourself from complaining.

7.????Use self-statements. I prefer the term self-statement to affirmations. You can find plenty to get you started online; however, make sure you personalise them and that you actually believe what you’re saying.

● Tell yourself each day just how tough and resilient you are. If you’re not there yet, add the words “I love the idea of …” before a statement. For example, I love the idea of feeling/being more resilient and mentally tough.

● When you notice your internal dialog beginning to falter, fall back on those self-statements.

● Make this a daily habit. It takes time, but self-statements can make a difference.

Check out my previous post The Truth About Affirmations and How to Make Them Work for You. If you can’t find it, send me a DM and I’ll send it Your way.

How mentally tough are you? It’s a trick question because it doesn’t matter. Whether you’re super tough or a total wimp, you can become even tougher. You don’t have to join the army or live in a cabin with no electricity or running water to learn how to be tough. You can teach yourself step-by-step each day.