Staying ‘Mentally Strong’ at Work

STAYING motivated and ‘mentally strong’ can be an ongoing battle for some leaders.

And it doesn’t matter whether you are the CEO of an organisation or a junior employee, motivation can come and go.

So, it is up to each and every one of us to monitor our mental strength - and make adjustments where necessary.

In a recent Inc.com article, entrepreneur and leadership expert John Rampton outlines some handy tips on how to maintain our motivation and continue to achieve our goals.

These include:

1. Take some ‘time out’ every day

Having some quiet time away from the chaos of work (or home) is essential to maintain your motivation and stay mentally strong.

Rampton recommends at least 15 minutes per day in solitude.

This ‘time out’ can help you reflect on your progress, recharge your batteries or in some cases, plan your day.

Some people like to do this as soon as they wake up in the morning, while others prefer to schedule a small block of time during the day

2. Don’t ‘overthink’ things

Many of us spend far too much time thinking about the various potential outcomes of our decisions, instead of concentrating on being ‘in the moment’ and letting nature takes its course.

The amount of variables involved in our lives each and every day can be very distracting.

So, if you want to be mentally strong and self-motivated ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’.

Instead, try to focus only on the things you can control - such as your approach and attitude - rather than ‘overthinking’ what may be ahead

3. Help and inspire others

Empathy and the other ‘softer skills’ are becoming increasingly important in today’s workplace.

Helping others is an excellent way not only to inspire people, but also to enable you to stay motivated and mentally strong.

Being motivated and feeling good about yourself is infectious, and also helps others to feel the same way.

And by taking on new challenges you are more courageous - enabling you to overcome your fears and gain greater power to achieve your goals

4. Be able to say ‘no’

Anyone with a busy work life knows the perils of being pushed from ‘pillar to post’ by colleagues who want you to help them.

Of course, none of us are ‘super people’ and although you may wish to say ‘yes’ to many of these requests, if you want to stay motivated and mentally strong, the answer in many cases, has to be no.

Saying ‘no’ is actually liberating and increases mental strength.

Of course, rather than being rude, always try to redirect the request to someone just as qualified, or explain to the person just how busy you are

5.  Eliminate fear and self-doubt

Staying motivated is all about keeping feelings of fear or self-doubt at bay. To do this, one of the best ways is to identify them and slowly ‘let them go’.

By visualising any fears and concerns you may have and slowly releasing them from your mind, you provide a much stronger platform for your motivation and mental strength.

Another good way to reduce fears is to visualise a positive end result - rather than focusing on the negatives.

Finally, some other good tips for staying ‘mentally strong’ include keeping a ‘gratitude journal’. This is where you write down everything you are thankful for each day in a book.

Another good tip is to do at least one ‘tough’ thing every week. This could include public speaking or having a difficult conversation with a colleague.