In an article by Inc., it shared 7 ways people with phenomenal mental toughness fight stress. We could see that those who are mentally strong handles stress different then those who do not. It is so important to look out for our mental health these days.
Research by Boston University shows that mental health negatively impacted academic performance. It further emphasize the need to provide students with mental health services. This is crucial especially during these challenging times.
4 Main Ways Mentally Strong People Handles Stress
Here are four main ways in which mentally strong people handled stress:
- They were able to adapt their mental state.
- Ability to regulate their emotions and thoughts.
- They felt more in control over their lives.
- They were able to keep a sense of humor with themselves and others.
Mentally Strong People Do Things Differently
In addition to these ways, here are a few more ways people who are mentally strong do things differently.
1. Mentally Strong People Know the Value of a Good Night’s Sleep
Mentally strong people know the value of a good night’s sleep. Sleeping not only helps them to recharge and feel refreshed, but it also has a direct impact on their health and productivity.
The human brain does not simply shut off while we sleep and go straight into deep sleep, which is why many people struggle with sleep deprivation.
Luckily there are plenty of easy ways to improve your quality of sleep that you can try out today such as
- Consider whether or not you are even getting enough sleep
- Stop drinking caffeinated beverages before bedtime
- Turn off all electronic devices for an hour before bedtime
2. Mentally Strong People Are Boundaried and Boundaries Matter
Boundaries are a way of protecting both ourselves and those around us. They give us a sense of safety and the knowledge that we have a place to call our own.
When it comes to emotional boundaries, people usually only think about the physical ones – what we’re willing to do, allow, or participate in physically. In reality, there are three types of boundaries: physical, mental, and emotional. When it comes to emotional boundaries, this is usually where people struggle most with being willing to put any into practice because they don’t know how or think they can’t.
The first step is recognizing that you have an issue with setting good boundaries and understanding why this may be happening for you – The reason you don’t trust yourself or other people may be because you feel like your needs were never met. Here are some ways of establishing your boundaries with others:
- Speak up for yourself
- Set limits with others
- Take care of yourself
3. Mentally Strong People Seek Purpose and Meaning in All Actions
If you are struggling with your mental health, it is important that you remember that there are people who care about you.
The ability to seek meaning in all actions is important for the mentally strong person. It doesn’t matter what the task at hand may be, but instead how they can find a way to make it meaningful. Mentally strong people also thrive when they find a sense of purpose in their life and commit to it.
Some people might feel like this isn’t possible for them because of their current situation, but this is not true. Finding purpose and meaning in your life can be achieved with hard work and dedication.
4. Mentally Strong People Seek Meaning and Purpose Through Goals and Focus
The first step of setting goals is to know what one wants to accomplish. Once they know what they want the next step is to write it down. They must write their goals down in order to make them happen.
This will help them stay on track and help them stay focused on their goal. They should also start by breaking up their goal into smaller pieces that are more manageable.
If one has not had success with previous efforts, then they need to evaluate why that was the case and create a new approach moving forward. This can be a difficult task as it may require outside help such as getting therapy, talking to a coach, or seeking out the help of friends and family for support. But it is possible to make changes on your own by making changes in your mindset and setting new goals.
5. Mentally Strong People Prioritize Self-Care and Having Fun
Self care is an important part of being mentally strong. It can help us stay grounded, it can give us the opportunity to recharge, and it can improve our physical health.
The following are some self care tips that will help you with your mental strength:
- Prioritize sleep
- Prioritize exercise
- Take time for yourself every day
- Schedule your day around your priorities
- Follow through on tasks complete them within 24 hours if not sooner
6. Mentally Strong People Adapt to the Changing Environment
You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.
The environment around us changes constantly. The people in this world are also continuously changing. It is an unavoidable truth that the person we were at the beginning of the year will not be the same person at the end of it. But if we want to make sure that we get to be who we want to be, then we need to change with it too. And it’s not like this is something that happens overnight or that only takes one day at a time.
Mentally strong people are able to adapt and grow with these changes in order for them to grow and improve themselves mentally and emotionally.
7. Mentally Strong People Regulate their Emotions and Thoughts Better
Self-regulation is a complex process that is done by the prefrontal cortex and other regions in the brain. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to do this alone.
A recent study has shown that adults who were given a break every 15 minutes from their task were more productive than those who did not take these breaks. The break helped them refocus their attention on something else and delayed gratification (giving up rewards in the present for greater rewards in the future).
8. Mentally Strong People are More in Control Over Their Lives
The study found that people who were mentally strong had a greater sense of control over their lives. The participants in the study rated themselves on mental health, how often they felt helpless, and whether they learned from their mistakes.
The findings showed that those who rated themselves as mentally stronger tended to feel less helpless, learn from their mistakes more often, and have higher levels of self-confidence.
9. Mentally Strong People are Able to Keep a Sense of Humor
Humor is a positive way to keep oneself happy and healthy. Despite the fact that it’s not always easy, humor can serve as a coping mechanism for many mental health issues. A healthy mind is able to laugh at themselves and others, in order to maintain a sense of humor that will allow them to remain mentally strong. A strong sense of humor allows for a person’s mental fortitude to remain intact when faced with various challenges they might stumble upon in their lives. In the movie The Dark Knight, the Joker (played by the late Heath Ledger) said,
“Why so serious?”
I see this as when you are always serious in things, you tend to focus on things so much that you forget to enjoy the entertainment along the way in our journey in life.
In conclusion, mentally strong people do things differently. They use their minds in a different way and they put themselves in a different state of mind. They don’t think about what’s going to happen, but rather focus on what they can do right now and not forgetting, keeping a sense of humor along the way.
