7 Habits of Mentally Strong People
Mentally strong people lead a life of healthy habits that allow them to manage their emotions, thoughts and behaviours in a way that sets them up for success. For executives and entrepreneurs’ mental strength is paramount to driving forward. However, mental strength is not something commonly spoken or thought about in business.
So here are 7 habits that can help you be mentally strong in your workplace:
- Embrace Change
Everything changes which is a fact often difficult for us to accept. However, how can we have peace of mind if we’re unhappy with the way things are?
Don’t just complain about change, embrace it, make it work for you.
Take Hanna Phan for example. She was applying for jobs but was quickly discovering that a simple resume no longer screams “I am perfect for this job, hire me”.
So rather than getting down and complaining about the difficulty of the job market or how a piece of paper with your Degree and spectacular job experience isn’t enough anymore. She got up and created something different to get her noticed.
She created a presentation resume video and tweeted it to the CEO’s of all the top technology companies she wanted to work for. And you know what?
She got the job.
- Be willing to take risks
Risk-taking is almost synonymous with entrepreneurship.
You’ve already taken a risk. You’ve started your own business based on your own idea and passion. You’ve already had to put your career, personal finances and even mental health balance at stake.
So why stop?
To be mentally strong you can’t be afraid. You have to be willing to take calculated risks. Otherwise your mental state and business won’t grow or strengthen.
Learn from the past and look towards the future
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards”
Soren Kierkegaard
Everybody makes mistakes and I’m not about to sit here and tell you that you won’t, you will make mistakes. But it’s time to think of them as little ‘speed bumps’ that might make the ride a little uncomfortable along the way but they can’t stop you.
So what do you do when you hit these speed bumps? Learn from it and move on. Keep your eyes looking towards the future, chances are you won’t even remember that speed bump.
- Stay positive
When faced with set backs, challenges, tense situations and the like it is difficult to stay positive. It may sometimes even feel like staying positive is nothing more than wishful thinking.
If you want to be mentally strong, stop dwelling on negative thoughts and feelings. Take a breath, go for a walk, talk about how you are feeling to someone.
Think positive, be positive.
- Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed
To start, don’t set the bar to high. Create realistic and achievable goals for yourself. There is no worse feeling than not achieving an unrealistic goal you have set for yourself. You need to slowly chip away at it, celebrating your achievements and moving towards it.
Keep raising the bar. It’s how you keep yourself positive, motivated and mentally strong.
- Focus on what you can control
Draw two circles that slightly overlap. In one circle write down “Stuff that is important,” and in the opposite circle write “Stuff I can actually control.” Notice that small area in-between, where the circles overlap? That’s where you should focus your energy.
- Keep your eyes on the big picture
What’s your big picture?
Is it building a successful business that runs without you? It is finding that perfect work/life balance so you can spend more time with your family? It is being able to comfortably retire at an early age?
Whatever it is, stay focused on it.
Don’t get dragged down by the small stuff.
