Keeping yourself sharp is crucial for staying on top of things. Combatting grogginess, fog, and even depression and anxiety is something you have to actively work at.
Your mental health impacts all areas of your life. It’s important to work on it just like you do your physical health.
These seven habits that will help you build your mental strength and stay on top of your game. With these simple tricks, you’ll be better equipped to face any situation life throws your way.
The sooner you get started, the better!
1. Rest and Relaxation Are Key
It’s all well and good to have long, busy days where your primary focus is on everything but yourself. But that shouldn’t be your reality every single day.
Make time to concentrate on yourself every now and then.
You may have the idea that building mental toughness means pushing through fatigue and working no matter how much stress it puts on your mind and body.
That’s not the case. The brain isn’t like a muscle; you can’t tear it apart and let it heal to make it stronger.
In reality, recharging is how you best strengthen your mind. Turning off and unplugging is essential to your brainpower. And it has to be done before you push yourself too hard, not after.
Getting ample rest lowers your stress levels and improves your concentration, creativity, and energy.
That’s not to say you have to sit around doing nothing in your downtime. Sleep isn’t the only form of rest. A long bath isn’t the only form of relaxation.
Doing things you enjoy is also a great way to rest your mind. Unplugging from stressful situations to work on a hobby could be your definition of a relaxing day.
Whatever recharges your batteries is something you should be practicing daily, if you can.
2. Do Your Best to Avoid Multitasking
Multitasking is often praised as a trait of a great mind.
Just because something is good for your output doesn’t mean it’s good for your mental resilience. In fact, it could be harming your mind instead.
Frequent multitasking can negatively affect your brainpower. It may reduce how well you organize your thoughts and decrease the efficiency of your brain.
It’s difficult to focus when you’re so used to your mind constantly jumping from point to point.
You don’t have to eliminate multitasking from your life completely. That’s kind of unreasonable. When you really need to multitask, limit yourself to no more than two things at a time.
While you’re multitasking, try to focus your full attention on one thing for 20 minutes before switching to the other for 20 minutes and then back again.
The biggest impact on your mental strength will be made when you focus solely on one thing at a time. Savor the things you are doing and be present in the moment rather than thinking about all the other things you need to get done.
You can also check” How to stop thinking about the past”
3. Exercise on a Regular Basis
Your physical health is heavily tied to your mental health.
Being active plays a big part in building your mental strength. When you exercise, it releases dopamine and serotonin into your brain, which make you feel better overall.
Exercising does amazing things for the strength of your mind.
It will lift your mood and reduce your stress. Regular exercise helps your mind and body relax more deeply when given the chance. It gives you more energy to go about your day and heightens your self-esteem.
Taking care of yourself is one of the best things you can do for the strength of your mind.
4. Accept Change and Find Solutions
Change is inevitable.
It’s easy to look at a situation and think you can shift the circumstances to suit what you wanted. It’s not so easy to actually stop a change from happening.
Rewire your brain to adapt to change rather than fight it.
When you accept change is happening, it’ll be easier to transition. No matter how slight the change, you’ll be able to fit this new reality with ease.
Challenge yourself with changes to practice thinking outside the box.
Searching for solutions strengthens the power of your mind so much more than dwelling on what could have been.
5. Know Yourself and Your Limits
Being self-aware is essential to keeping your mind strong.
Know what your limitations are. How much work is too much for a day or a week? How much stress can you really handle before it starts to overwhelm you? How many commitments are too many for your time?
It’s important to be honest with yourself. Otherwise, you risk pushing yourself too hard and potentially burning out.
Practice pulling yourself back from the edge of your limitations.
As you close in on that limit, use things you know bring you peace and calm to ground yourself again. Take some time for yourself to recharge rather than powering through.
And always remember:
It’s perfectly acceptable to say no if you’re already under a lot of pressure. Don’t let a sense of obligation get the best of you if it’s going to push you past what you’re capable of handling.
6. Gear Your Mind Toward the Positive
Mindfulness is one of the greatest tools you have for building your mental strength.
Just a few minutes of meditation will set a foundation of serenity for the rest of your day. Meditating in the morning is extremely effective for starting your day off right.
Try to set intentions throughout your day to keep your head in the game.
A big part of mindfulness is simply and truly believing in yourself. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says about you.
If you believe in yourself with unapologetic conviction, you can do anything!
7. Ask for Help
There is never a wrong time to ask for help.
Sometimes your mental strength isn’t enough to overcome a situation on its own, and that’s okay.
If you feel yourself slipping into stress, anger, anxiety, or depression that seems impossible to handle alone, ask someone for help.
Get into the habit of asking for help whenever you need it, no matter how big or small the situation. Powering through on your own just isn’t the answer. Collaboration makes the world go round.
In Summary
Mental strength isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you have to work at. But with a bit of determination and some presence of mind, you will quickly build that brainpower.
Incorporate these seven habits into your daily life. Start with one or two, then add more. After a while, these little things will become daily rituals, and you will be surprised by the impact they have on your mind.
Angus Flynn is the Business Manager for Chatham on Main. With over five years of experience in the multifamily housing industry, he is one of the most dedicated managers in his field. He loves to help others and takes great pride in working in a community that so many love to call home.